


That Would Be Enough

by tea4life882



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 18:31:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 51,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17730434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tea4life882/pseuds/tea4life882
Summary: Lin has a chance encounter with a woman and her daughter in a parking lot.  He's left with a feeling of longing...will he ever find her again in a city of  8.5 million people?This was originally posted on my Wattpad page.  Visit my lmmfan882 page on wattpad.com for more Lin stories! (the others aren't smut; more family drama)





	1. Chapter 1

Lin-Manuel Miranda sighed as he left his friend's get-together in downtown Manhattan. It was always great to get away and be around his friends, even though they were constantly trying to set him up with someone. Lin had it all – the most successful Broadway show in a long time, multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, and fame. But what had managed to escape him was love and a family of his own. He'd been in several long-term relationships, but they never seemed to work out. He was busy – crazy busy – and most women didn't seem to have the patience for that. Not that he blamed them. Who would want to spend most evenings alone while their partner performed night after night, and female fans threw themselves at him?

He was pondering the way his life was going as he drove down the street, towards his apartment complex. It would be another evening alone, save for his dog Tobi, his faithful sidekick. It was good to be unconditionally loved by something, even if it was four-legged and had bad breath.

He was a bit pre-occupied when he turned the corner in the parking garage. All of a sudden, a small form darted in front of his car and he slammed on his brakes, causing a loud screech. His body bumped against his seat belt as his heart jumped. A moment later, a terrified scream let out and he saw a young mother running over to the small form – what he now realized was a little girl, maybe four years old.

"Madeline, you can't do that!" She admonished her child, picking her up. The child giggled, unaware of the danger she had been in. Lin put the car in park and got out.

"I'm so sorry, miss," he apologized, walking over to them. "Is she okay?"

The young woman turned around, and Lin's breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful. She was dressed in a simple sundress, her dark brown hair, identical in color to her daughter's, came just past her shoulders. Her eyes were the brightest blue he'd ever seen.

"Yes, she's fine," she told him, readjusting the child on her hip. "I'm sorry she ran out in front of you like that. We're trying to work on safety."

"Not a problem," he said. "Kids dart."

Lin felt her eyes scan him up and down. He was wearing a nice pair of dark jeans and a button up shirt – his standard "party outfit". Lin put his hands in his pockets, knowing he was being checked out. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Do you live here?" Lin asked her?

The woman laughed. "I wish," she commented. "No, my good friend lives here, actually. We were over for a play date. There's no way I could afford an apartment here. How about you?"

"Yeah, I've got a place," he said. It was a simple two-bedroom. Room for him and any overnight guests. It wasn't anything fancy, but he was comfortable.

"Nice," she said.

"What do you do?" He asked, aware that the conversation was going past the polite phase of apologies. For some reason, he wanted to know more about this woman. How come he never ran into people like this at parties?

"I'm a librarian," she told him, and the child started to wriggle out of her mother's grasp. She set her down but kept hold of her hand. The little girl began swinging her mother's arm back and forth, keeping herself busy.

"Nice," he commented, an avid reader. "At New York Public Library?"

"Yes," she said. "How about you?"

Lin was usually recognized since the success of Hamilton. It was somewhat rare that a person didn't know who he was. He kind of liked that she had no idea who he was. It meant she wasn't just talking to him because of his fame.

"Umm..." he pondered how to answer. "I'm a writer, actually."

"What do you write?" She asked.

"Mostly plays," he said, not elaborating.

"Excellent," she commented as her daughter began to get more antsy. "Well, I better get this one home. It's way past her bedtime."

She began to walk the child back across the parking lot towards their car. "Oh, sure. I'm Lin, by the way." He reached out his hand to shake hers.

"Kate," she shook his hand, smiling. "And this is Madeline. Can you say hi, Maddie?"

"Hello," she said, clearly distracted.

"Nice to meet you both," he said, turning back towards his own car. "Have a good night."

Lin got back into his car as Kate led her daughter over to their car, which looked about 20 years old, and not in the best of shape. Madeline was babbling on about something as Kate tried to usher her into her car seat. He hoped he wasn't being creepy, but he watched them for a few moments. How was he going to find this woman again after a chance encounter in a parking lot?

As he pulled away, he felt a longing he hadn't felt in a long time. Somehow, he was going to find Kate again, and he was going to get to know her.


	2. 2

Lin sifted through his desk drawers hopefully, pushing things aside and digging in deep. His library card had to be in here somewhere. He made a mental note that he needed to find time to better organize his desk. It was something he didn't take time for...he had too much else to do.

Today, Lin decided it was high time he took a visit to the New York Public Library. Not that he felt a sudden urge to read, but he was hoping to encounter a certain librarian by the name of Kate. It had been at least 5 years since he'd visited the library. He had a tendency to buy books he was interested in. Usually, he just didn't have the time in the 3-week checkout limit to finish an entire book. Finally, he found his little red card tucked in the back behind some notebooks.

"Yes!" he said quietly, pulling out his wallet. He tucked the card inside and grabbed his car keys. He typed "New York Public Library" into Google Maps and was astonished to find there were over 100 branches. He exhaled in frustration, stroking his goatee. He figured he'd just try the Grand Central Library, located on 46th street. After paying for parking, he made his way inside.

He'd dressed up a bit more than he usually did to go to a library. Again, he had his "nice" jeans on, and a button-down shirt, undone at the collar. As he entered the large facility, he took a long gaze at the space. He spotted the circulation desk, which several different workers were sitting. None of them was Kate. He decided to take a little walk around the building, seeing if he could scope out any of the workers. For some reason, he felt a bit of nervousness in the pit of his stomach.

He made his rounds around the building, and realized that Kate was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she wasn't working that day, or she worked at one of the other 100 branches. He breathed out, disappointed, and made his way to one of the circulation desk. The young librarian smiled up at him.

"Can I help you, sir?" she offered.

"Uh, yeah. I was hoping you could help me locate an employee. Do you know of any librarians named Kate that work here?"

The girl shook her head. "No one by that name works at this branch. But that's a pretty common name," she pointed out.

He nodded, "Yes, that's true."

She began typing on her computer. "Let me do a quick search in my work e-mail. Everyone's email in the NYPL system is listed there."

"Great, thank you," he said as she began her search.

"I have four Kates," she reported, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper. "You don't know her last name?"

Unfortunately, he didn't, he reported.

She passed him the sheet. "Here are the four Kates that were in the system, and here are the branches they work at."

Lin took the paper gratefully and tucked it into his jeans pocket. As he walked away, he pulled up his phone and began typing the addresses of the other libraries into Google Maps. They were all over the city. He found the closest one and opened the directions. Today would be a field trip day, he decided.

The first location was a bust. He asked for Kate, and a middle-aged, slightly cranky lady appeared. She was annoyed for having her work interrupted. Lin thanked her, saying he had the wrong person, and made a quick exit. He headed to the second location, about a 15 minute drive away.

As he walked into the main area, his eyes immediately fell upon her. She had glasses on – cute little librarian glasses, and she was conversing with a patron standing in front of the desk. She asked the man questions, and continued to click around on her computer. Obviously, she was very thorough. Lin hung back, browsing through some encyclopedias nearby, as he waited for the man to finish.

The conversation seemed to wrapping up, so he took his opportunity to approach the desk. Kate thanked the man, and then turned her attention to the next person in line – Lin.

When she saw his face, her face immediately blushed. Lin smiled and stepped up to the desk.

"Good afternoon," he greeted her, feeling nervous.

"Hello," she said, a little taken aback. Were they just happening to run into each other again by coincidence? She didn't think he'd ever seen him here before. This branch was nowhere near his apartment complex. "Did you need help navigating the Reader's Digest over there?"

Lin looked back at the collection of books he'd been pretending to browse. "No, no," he said, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "Um...," he set his library card on the desk. "I actually haven't been to the library in several years, so I was hoping to see if it's still valid."

Kate smirked and took his card and scanned it. "It is expired," she reported. She pulled up his information. "Are you still on 180th Street?"

"That's the place," he said. Lin despised moving, and tended to stay in one place unless it was absolutely necessary. He still lived in Washington Heights, where he'd grown up, and couldn't imagine living elsewhere in the city.

"Okay," she said, typing on her keyboard. "You know, you could do this yourself online," she mentioned.

He smirked, laughing. "I decided I'd rather do it in person?"

"Why's that?" she asked.

"I was hoping to run into you," he said bluntly, watching her face for a reaction. She bit her lip and kept her eyes on the computer.

"Your card is now up to date," she reported, passing it back to him. "It expires in 2023. Do you need help finding any reading materials?"

"Thank you, but no," he told her, tucking the card back in his wallet. "But, uh...I was wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee after work or something?"

Kate grinned. "I would love to, but I've got to pick Madeline up from day care by 6:00. Otherwise, they start charging me a dollar for every minute I'm late."

Lin winced at that. "I see," he said. "Rain check?"

"Sure," she said, pulling out a small piece of paper. She began writing, then pushed the paper towards him. "Here's my number."

 

Lin's heart soared. He hadn't even asked for her number and she was giving it out willingly. He carefully tucked the little piece of paper into his wallet for safe keeping.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll text you so you have my number too."

"Great!" she said, and looked to his right, observing another patron was ready to be helped. Lin took his cue that it was time to move on.

"Oh, and by the way," Kate told him as he turned to leave. "Your closest branch is Washington Heights Library. It's on St. Nicholas Avenue."

Lin grinned, knowing it was obvious he'd come here specifically for her. "Thanks," he told her as he headed for the door.

Kate couldn't help but grin as the next patron stepped up to the desk. Somehow, her work day would be a little more bearable now.


	3. 3

It has been a long time since Lin had wanted to date someone. He didn't want to appear too eager or in her face, so he waited until the next day to type Kate's name into his contacts list. He started typing in a message, erased it, typed a different one, erased it again. Lin decided casual was probably the best way to go.

Hi Kate. Lin here. How's your day going?

It was the middle of the day. He'd never had a regular 9-5 job. When she didn't answer immediately, he didn't get too concerned. She was probably at work. At the library. He had to admit, that was kind of hot. It was hard to stop thinking about her in her cute little librarian glasses. She was giving him writer's block. Lin tried to keep himself busy, doing things around the apartment. His heart leapt when he heard his phone ding with a text message.

Hi Lin! Great! I'm Dewey decimating the day away.

Lin grinned at her librarian joke. A sense of humor was one of the most important qualities he looked for in a partner. He rarely took himself seriously and needed someone on the same wavelength as him. He tried to think of something witty, but just went with something simple.

Nice. Are you free later or the next few days?

He seemed to have caught her on a break because she immediately started replying.

Not today, but tomorrow evening I am. I have a library event during the day, but I'm done around 4.

Great. I could come by the library around 4?

Sounds good.

Lin put his phone down on the table, excited that they had solid plans in place. It would be hard to wait that long, but it gave him something to look forward to.

Finally, 4:00 the next day rolled around and Lin managed to find a parking spot semi-close to the library. As he neared the building, he noticed a lot of tables and chairs being put away. People were everywhere, breaking down displays and cleaning up. Lin looked around and saw Kate talking with a small group of people nearby. Her daughter Madeline was close by, chasing another kid around. There were a lot of other kids around, and he guessed it must have been a children's event.

Lin walked closer and hung back, waiting for her to finish. She finished and looked up at him, smiling. "Hi Lin! We're almost done here. Just give me a few minutes."

"No problem," he said. "Can I help?"

"Sure!" she said. "Could you take all these items back into the library?" She pointed to a pile of flyers and crafts. Lin nodded and got to work, carrying the items in an armload at a time. About 15 minutes later, everything seemed to be squared away and Kate was ready to go.

Kate called her daughter over and knelt down in front of her. "Sweetheart, you're gonna go hang out with Auntie Sue for a while, okay? Will you be a good girl?"

The child barely slowed down as she nodded. One of the other library workers hung nearby with a couple kids close to Madeline's age. Kate gave her daughter a kiss and a hug. "I love you, Maddie."

She turned to Lin and they began walking down the street. "How'd the event go? It looked like it was pretty busy."

"It went really well," she said as they made their way down the street towards a coffee shop. "It took months of planning, and luckily the weather cooperated."

"Good," he said, his hands in his pockets. "How long have you been a librarian?"

"Almost ten years now," she said. "I went back for my Master's after a couple years working full time. Had Madeline somewhere in the middle of it all."

Lin tried to work out her ballpark age. He guessed she was in her mid-30's. He wondered how he'd gotten lucky enough to catch her single. Soon, they arrived at a local independent coffee shop and ordered some cold drinks. They found a cozy corner and sipped and chatted.

"So, what kind of plays do you write?" She asked him. Lin cleared his throat and set his cup down.

"My first was called In the Heights," he said. "It's semi-autobiographical, about a Latino kid growing up in Washington Heights. Then my latest was Hamilton."

Kate coughed on her drink and struggled to clear her throat. Lin handed her a napkin and she dabbed at her watering eyes.

"You wrote Hamilton?" She asked him. Lin nodded, smiling. "You must think I'm an idiot."

"Not at all," he said. "It's nice to talk to someone who has no idea what I do."

"I haven't gotten to see it yet, because, you know, money," she explained. "But I heard it's really good. Didn't it take you some insane amount of time to write?"

Lin nodded as he swallowed his last sip. "Seven years," he said.

"Wow," she said. "That's a long time to be dedicated to something."

He nodded. "It was pretty epic," he admitted. "Now I'm trying to come up with my next big idea. Nothing's really inspired me yet, but it'll hit me at some point."

"Melville Dewey," she suggested, smirking.

Lin laughed and shook his head. "I think you'd have to help me with the lyrics on that one."

"It could inspire a whole generation to earn MLS's," she pointed out.

Lin and Kate began to lose track of time, chatting about anything and everything. It was an easy conversation. It flowed without any effort, and there weren't any awkward pauses. Lin felt like he was talking to an old friend; someone he'd known for years. They were definitely kindred spirits.

Kate's phone buzzed and she checked it. It was a message from her friend Sue.

"Crap, it's almost 8:00," she said, tucking her phone in her purse. "I need to go pick up Maddie."

Lin nodded as they scooched their way out of the small booth they were sharing. He took her cup to the trash as she got herself together. "Can I walk you to your car?" He asked.

"Sure," she said, and began walking in that direction. A few minutes later, they arrived at her beat-up Honda Accord from the 1990's. "I had a nice time. It's been a while since I've spent some quality time with an adult."

Lin smiled, stepping a little closer towards her. "Me too," he said. "Anytime you need a little adult conversation, let me know."

She smiled, and Lin saw her eyes quickly dart to his lips and back up to his eyes. Kate bit her lip.

"I will," she said. Lin took her hand in his and tugged her a little closer.

"Bye," he whispered, and leaned in for a sweet kiss. Kate let out a tiny moan as their lips worked against each other for a few moments.

As they both pulled away, Kate giggled a little nervously. "I'll text you," she told him.

Lin watched as she got into her car and started it. As she pulled away, he waved at her and watched her car disappear down the street. Sighing, he looked up at the sky, knowing he was done in for. Already, he missed her and was thinking about when he'd get to see her next.

A/N: I might be librarian...

Please vote and comment! Check out my other story, If the Unimaginable Happens!


	4. 4

Lin and Kate continued to text throughout the week. It was evenly initiated – some days he would text first and sometimes it was Kate. Like any beginning to a new relationship, any communication sparked feelings of excitement. Lin loved her sense of humor and found himself chuckling quite often at her texts.

They made arrangements to go out to dinner on Friday evening. Lin would pick her up around 6:30. He programmed her address into his Google Maps and found himself in front of an older building. It definitely wasn't the ghetto, but it wasn't Buckingham Palace either. He assumed she was living on a single income, and as a single mother, he was sure money was tight. He managed to find a parking spot and found his way to her apartment on the 17th floor. As he approached the door, he heard loud giggling. He smiled as he knocked on the door.

A pair of small feet rushed to the door to answer it. Madeline's small form struggled to unlock the door and pull it open. She looked up at the man at the door, who would be taking her mother out to dinner.

"Hi!" She greeted him.

Lin smiled down at her as he stepped inside. "Madeline, right?"

"How do you know my name?" She asked.

"I learned it when I almost hit you with my car," he reminded her. The episode had been long forgotten by the four year old. She took his hand and led him over to her kitchen play set.

"I'm gonna bake you some cookies," she told him as he sat down on the floor.

"I love cookies," Lin told her. "What kind?"

 

"Chocolate chip of course," she told him as she pretended to put together some ingredients.

"Sounds good," he told her, playing around. Kate opened her bedroom and walked out, wearing some white capris and a flowing tank top. As usual, she looked gorgeous. Lin looked over at her and called a greeting.

"I see you're baking," she said as she tried to clean up in the kitchen a bit.

"Yes, Madeline's a great cook," he said. The girl put a play cookie in Lin's palm and he pretended to eat it. There was another knock on the door, and the kid was off again.

"That should be the babysitter," Kate said as she wiped her hands on a towel. Madeline opened the door to a teenage girl with braces. Lin stood up, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"She needs to be in bed by 8," Kate told the babysitter. "No drinks after 7:00."

Kate turned to her daughter and gave her some reminders. "Make sure you brush your teeth and listen to Amy," she said. Kate knelt down and gave her daughter a kiss and a hug. Lin and Kate made a quick exit and headed out to her car.

About 10 minutes later, they arrived at a nice hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant that Lin loved. They ordered some cocktails and relaxed in the quiet, cozy atmosphere.

"So, you're not performing at the moment are you?" Kate asked him. Since realizing last time he was Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, she did some research on him so she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

Lin shook his head and set his drink down. "No, I did it for about a year, but then decided to step back," he said. "It's a pretty exhausting role. I miss it, though."

 

Kate nodded in understanding. "Doing a show every night of the week and then all of a sudden not having that I'm sure is a bit of an adjustment," she observed. "What do you do with your time now?"

"I like to go on walks with my dog," he began. "I've been catching up on movies and books and such."

"What are you reading?" She asked him curiously.

"You're such a librarian," he smiled. He rattled off a few books he'd recently gotten through. Eventually, the conversation a bit to her daughter.

"She seems like a really good kid," Lin told her.

"Yeah, she's really sweet most of the time," she said. "Way too much energy though."

Lin nodded. "And where's her dad, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kate had anticipated that question coming up. "Not sure at the moment," she admitted honestly. "He's been in and out of our lives. The whole relationship was a mistake."

"Sorry to hear that," he said. "Does Madeline talk about him?"

 

"Not really," she said. "When he shows up, she usually doesn't remember him. She'll talk about him when he's in her life. We haven't heard from him for almost a year now, which is fine with me. I don't even care about child support payments."

"He doesn't pay you?" He asked, exasperated.

"It's more trouble than it's worth, believe me," she said. "I'd just rather have him out of Madeline's life. He's not a great influence."

Lin nodded, sensing it was time to move the conversation somewhere else. "So, what do you do for fun?"

 

"Oh, you know, arrange my book collection in Dewey Decimal order. Shoosh people," she said jokingly.

"No seriously," he insisted.

"Reading, of course," she told him. "Spending time with Maddie. Movies, friends, yoga."

"Yoga, huh? I've been told I should try it out."

 

"It's very relaxing," she told him. "You should tag along sometime."

After dinner, they went on a walk around the neighborhood. Lin slipped his hand into hers, and she readily accepted. It was nice to have the feel of someone's hand within his. Companionship had been something missing from his life. It felt like he had a really good thing going with Kate.

Soon, it was time to go home to relieve the babysitter. As she put her keys into the lock, Kate invited him inside for a cup of coffee. Amy was on the couch, watching TV. As they came in, she sat up and turned off.

"Hi, Amy," Kate set her purse down by the door. "How was she?"

"Energetic," Amy laughed, which was not surprising to her mother. "She went to bed okay though."

"Good," Kate took out her wallet and dug out a few bills, handing them to Amy. "Would you like me to walk you home?"

 

"Thanks," she said, tucking the bills in her pocket. "But I'm fine. Just 3 flights."

Amy excused herself and Kate went to the kitchen. "How do you take your coffee?"

 

"One milk, please," he said, looking around the living room. There were lots of pictures of Madeline from baby to present, including some of what he assumed were her parents. She soon walked in with two mugs of coffee and set them on the coffee table. Lin took a seat on the couch and blew on his coffee. After a couple sips, he set it down and let his hand rest on Kate's knee, stroking gently with his thumb.

"Kate," he said quietly. "I really like you."

She smiled at him, blushing slightly. "I like you a lot too," she admitted.

Lin leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers. He let his hand cup her neck just behind her ear. Deepening the kiss, he darted his tongue out, seeking permission to go a bit farther. She met her tongue with his, encouraging him along. They broke the kiss for a moment to look into each other's eyes, allowing their noses to nudge against each other. Lin smirked and moved his body closer to hers, allowing his hand to travel down her shoulder, then to her hip.

Kate let out a small moan as his fingers began gently stroking her skin, then his mouth dipped to kiss her neck. Her hands found his dark hair. Their mouths connected again, exchanging deep kisses. Kate's heart raced as the kiss continued. It had been so long since she'd been kissed like this. They were interrupted by the noise of a door opening.

Lin pulled away reluctantly as a little voice called, "Mommy!"

 

"Yes, sweetheart," Kate said, adjusting her hair.

"Can I get some water?"

"I'll be there in a moment, Maddie," she called. "Go back to bed."

Kate sighed, smiling. "Sorry," she said.

"Don't be," he said, then moved to stand up. "I better be going."

Kate walked him to the door, where he paused, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Can I see you again soon?" He asked.

She nodded. "Definitely," she told him. Kate stepped forward and gave him one last kiss, slow and gentle. They pulled apart reluctantly as Lin pulled the door open to make his exit. Kate shut the door behind him, bolting the lock and the chain. She leaned back against the door and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Already, she wanted him back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter

A few nights later, Lin was set to go pick Kate up at her apartment again. However, when he showed up, she told him that the babysitter had to cancel at the last minute. With no child care, their plans of dinner and a movie were shot.

"No problem," Lin said, brushing it off. "We can just hang out here. Order in pizza?"

"Pizza!!!" Madeline exclaimed in excitement.

Kate smiled and pulled out a coupon sheet from one of the kitchen drawers. They soon decided an order and put it in. In the meantime, Madeline made Lin sit down on the floor while she sat on the couch.

"Why do you have long hair?" She asked him as she took out his hair tie.

"I grew it out because I was acting in a play and my character had long hair," he patiently explained. The four year old began to comb her fingers, not very gently, through his dark hair. He winced a little but toughed it out as she began to plan with his hair style.

"Wait right here," she told him and disappeared to the bathroom. A few moments later, she returned with a pink container of hair ties, barrettes and bows. Lin sat patiently as she began to put in a variety of colorful hair accessories.

Kate wandered in after pouring a couple glasses of wine for the adults. "Oh, Maddie," she said. "I love what you've done with Lin's hair!"

Madeline nodded, as if she already knew her work was a masterpiece. Kate loved that Lin was well-humored enough to sit and let a 4 year old put ribbons in his hair. When she finished she stood and took his hand to bring him to the restroom. Lin got a good look of his new hairdo in the mirror and complimented the little girl. They took a selfie together in celebration.

The pizza soon arrived and Madeline, glad to have a new audience, talked constantly and turned on the silliness. When it was time for bed, she insisted that Lin read her a bedtime story. Afterwards, Kate tucked her in and joined Lin on the couch again. Lin was refilling both their glasses, ready to have some adult only time.

"Thanks for being so sweet with her," Kate said, tucking her feet underneath her as she settled in with her wine.

"Oh, absolutely," Lin said. "She's adorable. I've got a couple of nephews so I've been subjected to being ordered around by young children."

 

She laughed, giving his arm a bit of a squeeze. They started chatting about what they'd both gotten up to in the last few days. As the conversation wound down, Lin found himself looking into Kate's eyes, no longer wanting to fight the urge to kiss her. He gently took the wine glass out of her hand and placed both wine glasses on the table.

Lin leaned in, placing his hand on her knee. "I've been wanting to do this all night," he admitted as he closed his eyes and met his lips with hers. They were so soft. Their tongues danced together as the kiss deepened. Lin let his hand wander up her leg and let a couple fingers work their way underneath her top, gently stroking her soft skin.

A couple minutes later, they both pulled apart, breathless. Lin rested his forehead against Kate's.

"Listen, Lin," she began, pulling back slightly. "I really, really like you, but I have to get something out in the open."

Lin sat up and looked into Kate's eyes, patiently waiting. "Sure, what is it?"

"I just need you to know," she said, brushing something invisible off her jeans, "My daughter has to come first. I'd love to keep dating you, but I need you to understand that her needs are at the top of my list."

"Of course," Lin assured her, like it was a given. "I get it. You have a kid, and she's the center of your world. I wouldn't expect you to drop everything for me."

Lin knew, in his late 30's, that it would be rare to meet a woman without some history. Many single people his age were divorced and had kids. It was something that came with the age.

Kate sighed out, relieved. "Sorry," she said. "It's just that in the past, other men haven't been very understanding. They've wanted my full attention and it just didn't work."

"Well then they weren't worth it," he told her. "Maddie's the center of your world."

Kate nodded. "Thanks," she said softly. "I don't usually introduce her to men I date this early. She's thrilled to have a guy to play with her. I feel like she misses out on that, not having a dad."

Kate mentally kicked herself. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to imply that you're stepping in as her father. I just meant..."

"I know what you meant," he assured her. "She's a sweet kid."

"Especially when she's sleeping," Kate commented.

The room seemed to get a little less tense, now that Kate had gotten that out of the way. She relaxed a little and scooted a little closer to Lin, biting her lip. Kate put a hand on his chest and went in for another kiss. Soon, things were starting to heat up as they let their hands wander underneath each other's shirts. Lin guided her to lay down on the couch, side by side.

"God, you're beautiful," he breathed out, letting his finger trace the outline of her jaw and chin. Lin leaned in and they continued their slow, gentle kissing. It had been so long since he'd made out with a woman, and he'd forgotten how fun it was. The back and forth, the gentle nip of teeth on lips, learning the taste of a woman. He let his hand wander up the front of her shirt, over her bra, and up to her bra strap. Lin coaxed it off her shoulder, pulling it down her chest a bit. His hand moved down to cup her soft breast in his hand, kneading it gently. Kate moaned under his touch. Her hand went down the back of his pants, groping for his butt as they continued to kiss deeply.

Lin let his fingers travel down to her jeans, pausing in case she wanted him to stop. Her breath hitched a bit as he unbuttoned her jeans, then let his fingertips play with the elastic of her panties. His fingers then slowly worked their way lower, over her panties, at the apex of her thighs. Using two fingers, he stroked gently up and down, causing her to gasp. Their kissing momentarily stopped as she closed her eyes and opened her legs a bit wider. Lin began kissing her more passionately as he finally let his fingers dip beneath her panties, finding her wet with arousal.

Kate bit her lip as his fingers worked her clit gently. He buried his face in her neck, gently nipping and kissing as his fingers worked expertly. He knew just how to vary the pressure and speed of his fingers, sending her reeling. Lin knew they wouldn't go much further tonight, so he slowly removed his hand, letting it rest on her hip. She reached down and touched his jeans, finding he was already hard. She quickly unfastened his belt, then the button of his jeans. Kate reached into his boxer briefs and soon found what she was looking for. As she gripped him, she realized his size was quite impressive. She'd been with a few men before, but his girth was probably the largest she'd encountered. Lin let his head roll back as she began to work her warm hand up and down. Their lips met again as she rubbed up and down. Before they got too far, Lin gently stilled her wrist and adjusted himself a bit on the couch.

They kissed breathlessly for a few more moments, then looked into each other's eyes.

"I better go," he whispered.

Kate felt her heart ache a little bit, wishing he could stay. However, she knew it wouldn't be appropriate for him to stay over at this point. She nodded as she exchanged another sweet kiss. With her head between his two hands, he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead.

"Next time, you should come to my place," he suggested. "We'll be all alone. Well, except for my dog."

She laughed a little. "That's okay. I love dogs."

Lin nodded and slowly stood up. Kate walked him to the door, where they shared a few more sweet kisses. "I'll talk to you soon," Lin told her before opening the door. Kate stood in the doorframe and watched him walk down the hallway and away from her. She sighed, already looking forward to the next time they could be together.


	6. 6

Lin scrubbed at the dishes in his sink, trying to get the place looking presentable for Kate when she came over later. He was a bachelor through and through. He wasn't a slob, exactly, but he definitely wasn't a neat freak. All in all, he spent about an hour cleaning up once he was finally satisfied with the way it looked. He sprayed some air freshener for good measure.

Madeline was staying with her grandparents overnight, so Kate was free of responsibility for the evening. They met at a local Italian restaurant for dinner.

"So how long did it take you to write Hamilton?" She asked over a glass of wine.

"Almost seven years," he told her, making her gape. "A few of the songs took me almost a year to write."

"Wow," she told him. "Which ones?"

"My Shot was the hardest," he admitted. "I had to back up my claim that he was one of the most talented writers and speakers of his time. I had to write the best lyrics I'd ever written in my life."

"I can't imagine working on something for seven years," she mused.

"It was pretty epic," he agreed.

"So you played Hamilton for a year, right?"

He nodded.

"Why'd you decide to stop?"

"It was an exhausting schedule," he admitted. "It's a very challenging role, obviously, and doing it night after night was just starting to get to me. I needed a break."

"And now it's in how many cities?"

"Four," he said. "And soon to be Puerto Rico. I'll be playing Hamilton again there."

"Really? That's exciting."

"I'm not excited about growing my hair back out again," he admitted.

"I think you look sexy with long hair," she said, then regretted it. Usually, she wasn't that forward.

"The ladies do seem to like the man bun," he said lightheartedly.

Kate laughed as the waiter brought the check, which Lin picked up. After he'd paid, they agreed to meet at his place to hang out and have a drink.

Lin poured some wine and set the glasses on the coffee table as Kate looked around the living room a bit.

"You have a Super Nintendo?!" She asked excitedly, noticing his game console. Lin nodded, smiling. "I used to kill at Super Mario Brothers! Can we play?"

"Of course," he said, powering up the system. They sat on the floor like kids and started up a game. Kate was very good, which turned him on a bit somehow. They played for over an hour, sipping wine and laughing like kids. It was past 11:00 when Kate was finishing off her third glass of Merlot. Their efforts to beat Bowser were quickly becoming undone.

Lin tossed his controller away, giving up, as Kate gave it one last try. As she concentrated, Lin scooted a little closer and started kissing her neck. She laughed and half-heartedly pushed him away.

"Not fair!" She told him. Lin brushed her long, brown hair behind her shoulder and made his way lower. Soon, Kate gave up, knowing she wouldn't be able to concentrate. She threw her controller down and sighed, giving him a mock-annoyed look.

"You messed me up," she told him, turning to look at his face. Lin smirked and leaned his head in, capturing her lips. They began to kiss gently, Lin letting his hand cup her head, holding her in place. The kiss soon deepened as their tongues met. After a minute or so, they broke apart, letting their foreheads meet.

"I didn't know your Mario skills could be a turn on," he commented playfully. Kate laughed, letting her hand rest on his thigh.

"You're telling me, a grown woman, that my video game skills are a turn on?" She raised her eyebrows at him but smiled.

"The way you handle Yoshi," Lin joked. She laughed and then leaned back in for another kiss. Lin's hands began to wander to the sides of her shirt, finding bare skin underneath. She moaned a bit as he began tracing circles.

"Wanna take this to the bedroom?" He asked. Kate nodded and they stood up. Lin took her hand as they walked to his room. They stood at the foot of his head as Lin gently pushed her hair back. Kate stepped forward and took his face in her hands, kissing him hungrily. He gently led her to sit on the bed as the kissing continued. Lin reached for the hem of her top and pulled it over her head, then pulled off his own shirt. They both scooted towards the head of the bed, laying on their sides as they continued to kiss passionately.

Lin let his hand wander to her butt, gently rubbing and playing with her panty line. He reached behind her back and momentarily fumbled with her bra strap. Kate tossed it to the side and rolled onto her back as Lin gently began groping her. Their tongues danced with each other as Lin climbed on top of her, then ducked his head to capture one of her nipples between his lips.

Kate let out a whimper as he licked and sucked at her breasts, sending her reeling. She could feel him hardening beneath his jeans, up against her leg. She took the opportunity to undo his belt buckle then reach into his jeans, stroking him over his underwear. Her attention caused him to momentarily stop and let out a gasp. Lin sat up on his knees and quickly pulled off her pants and underwear together, tossing them to the side. He returned to her lips, kissing her as he let his hand reach down to find her core.

His fingers gently began to touch her, noticing she was already wet. He let his lips travel to her neck as his fingers continued to work, making her moan. Lin let one finger, then two slip inside her, curling up inside her. Kate reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, wanting to get him fully naked. Lin made quick work of kicking them off and tossing them to the side. He hovered over her, kissing her hungrily as she stroked him. He let his tip touch her entrance and looked into her eyes for permission. She kissed him in response and he slowly pushed into her.

Lin's eyes rolled back into his head a little at her tightness. She felt so good, enveloping him. He gave her a moment to adjust. They exchanged slow, deep kisses as they enjoyed the sensation of being connected for the first time. Lin began to move slowly, gently thrusting inside her.

Kate ran her hands up and down his back as he moved, filling her up completely. He looked into her eyes and nuzzled her neck as he thrusted into her, beginning to pick up the pace. Kate rolled her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust. The sounds she was making was turning him on even more.

Lin changed his position slightly, sitting up more on his knees to get better leverage. He let his hands rest on the bed beside her head as he began thrusting with more force, feeling the pleasure building and building. He heard her voice change a little, and he figured she was close to an orgasm. He began pounding into her harder, using his hips to rub up against her clit. As he picked up the pace, the only sounds in the room were moans and skin meeting skin.

She clung to him as she felt her walls close around him, and let out a scream of pleasure as he slammed into her. She felt a wave of pleasure sweep through her body as Lin let out a few grunts, reaching his own orgasm.

They both panted, trying to catch their breath as Lin collapsed on top of her. After a few moments, they shared a few sweet, deep kisses until Lin slowly extracted himself and fell onto the mattress next to her. If that was the first time, they couldn't wait to see what kind of connection they'd reach in the future.

Kate rolled over on her side and let an arm rest over his chest, snuggling in. Since Madeline was with her parents, she had the whole night to just lay and be with Lin. She sighed in satisfaction as Lin pulled a sheet over them and he kissed her temple. The both slipped into a restful sleep.


	7. 7

Lin and Kate woke up the next morning, limbs tangled beneath the sheets in Lin's bed. Kate turned over and bed and smirked when she saw Lin's bed head.

"What?" He smirked.

Kate reached out and tried to press down the wisp of hair that refused to stay in place.

"It won't stay down until I take a shower," he told her, well aware of his morning hair issues. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Join me?"

Kate had slept in one of Lin's t-shirts and a pair of panties. She followed him to the bathroom, where Lin turned on the shower as they both began to strip. Lin took her hand and they both stepped into the warm stream. They soon began kissing passionately and made love again up against the shower wall.

After the shower was finished, they dried off and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. Kate had to put on the same clothes she'd worn the day before, and mentally made a note to go home and change before she picked her daughter up. Lin nuzzled her neck and was affectionate as they sat on the couch, enjoying some morning coffee. Soon, though, it was time to face the day.

Kate took her coffee mug to the kitchen and set it down. "I better go pick up Maddie," she told him. "She runs my mother ragged."

Lin grinned as they stopped at his front door. He leaned in and captured her lips in one final kiss.

"I'll see you soon," he said quietly.

Kate took the subway to her place, changed, and then headed to her parents' place in Brooklyn. When she entered, her mother was on the couch, looking exhausted, as her daughter sang and danced at the top of her lungs along with TV.

"Hi, Mom," she greeted. "Hi Maddie!"

Madeline ran over to greet her mother. Kate bent down to plant a kiss on her daughter's head. "Were you a good girl for grandma?"

"Uh-huh," she said. "We played Barbies and we went to the park."

"Sounds fun," she commented. "Go get your stuff and we'll go home."

Her mother stood up, sighing. "She didn't brush her teeth last night," she reported. "I was just glad to get her to bed."

Kate smiled, understanding how exhausting her four year old could be. "That's okay, Mom. One night won't hurt."

Madeline came up a few moments later, pulling her Sofia The First overnight bag. "Tell Grandma thanks and goodbye."

The little girl gave her grandmother a last hug before they left to catch the subway home. Madeline was hungry for a snack, so Kate cut up a few strawberries and sat her down at the table.

"Mama, when's Lin coming over again?" She asked, catching Kate off guard. They'd only spent a few hours together, but her daughter was already in love.

"I don't know, baby," she said as she cleaned up in the kitchen. "Do you want him to come over?"

"Uh-huh," she stuffed a strawberry in her mouth. "I want to do his hair again."

Kate grinned, remembering how Lin had been such a good sport about it. Anyone who let her do their hair was a friend in Madeline's book.

"Maybe I'll invite him over for dinner tomorrow," she said. "What should we cook?"

"Mac & Cheese!" She suggested, causing Kate to laugh.

"Maybe for you," she said. "I'll have to think of something else for the grown ups to eat."

Kate had the day off work, so they had the afternoon to go play in Central Park and maybe get a treat at a coffee shop. About halfway through the afternoon, Kate noticed her daughter starting to lag.

"Sweetie, come her and let's check your blood sugar," she called, pulling out the Blood Glucose Monitoring Device out of her purse, one she always kept on hand. Madeline had been born with Type 1 diabetes, which required constant monitoring.

The little girl whined at having to stop and knowing she'd have to get her finger pricked. That was the worst park. Maddie sat down dutifully and Kate ran a hand over her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she complained.

"When you get this way, you need to let mommy know," she said, as she got a new test strip ready. "Ready? 1-2-3," she pressed the button that would give her daughter's finger a tiny prick. Maddie whimpered a little as her mother gathered the small drop of blood.

"Good girl," she praised her as she loaded the strip into the reader. The device beeped with the results. "Sixty-two. Let's have a snack."

Kate pulled out a pouch of fruit snacks, one of Maddie's favorites. She quickly gobbled them down and sat to have a drink of water. Quickly, she began to feel better.

"Why don't you play for 15 more minutes, then we'll go home for dinner."

Maddie raced back to the playground, and Kate sat back to relax for a few more minutes. Her phone beeped with a text message. It was from Lin.

How's your day going?

She smiled and started typing her response.

Great. At the park with Maddie. Dinner tomorrow?

Sure! What can I bring?

Just yourself. See you then.

A few minutes later, it was time to leave. Kate called her daughter over and gathered their things together. When they reached their apartment complex, they stopped at the mail room to check their mailbox. Kate pulled out several envelopes and they made their way upstairs in the elevator.

Madeline immediately went to her toys as Kate sat on the couch to go through the mail. She sighed when she saw an envelope from the Department of Child Services. Swallowing, she opened it up and pulled out the letter.

Her eyes quickly darted over the words and she closed her eyes in worry. Her ex-husband was petitioning for joint custody.


	8. 8

The next evening when Lin knocked on Kate's door, he knew immediately something was wrong. Kate seemed like a pretty laid-back person, and she was uptight and anxious. Maddie was running around, being a normal four year old, but the little girl seemed to be testing her mother's patience.

"Maddie, you need to quiet down," she told her daughter firmly. "We don't need the neighbors calling management again."

She went into the kitchen and I followed her. As she put a few dishes in the sink, I walked up beside her and put a hand on her hip.

"You okay?" he asked, gently stroking with my thumb.

She sighed and leaned on the counter with both hands. "My ex," she began. "He's petitioning for joint custody of Madeline."

Lin sighed and then leaned back against the counter, folding my arms. "Seriously? Hasn't he been MIA for the last two years?"

"Yep," she said, pouring herself a glass of wine. "Want some?"

"Sure," he agreed.

"There's not really anything I can do about it," she admitted. "He's her biological father. He doesn't have a prison record and he's gainfully employed. There's no reason the courts wouldn't give him joint custody."

"Well, could you argue that it would be too much to have joint custody right away?" he pointed out. "Couldn't it start out with every other weekend or every Wednesday or something?"

"Maybe," she said, her face looking off in the distance in concentration, planning. "I'm just worried about Maddie. She has no memory of him at all. I don't even talk about her father with her. I don't want her getting disappointed."

Lin nodded in understanding, knowing there wasn't much he could do to quell her fears. The courts were allowing fathers more and more rights these days.

"Do you think he'd disappear again?" He asked her gently.

"I wouldn't put it past him," she said and took a long swig of wine. "He hasn't even sent her a birthday card."

Lin shook his head, not understanding how people could just ignore their own children. If he had kids, he'd be in their lives constantly, whether he was with their mother or not. As Kate reached for the wine bottle again, Lin gently took it away from her and set it back on the counter.

"Let's go out, the three of us," he suggested. "Take your mind off things."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I look like crap."

"Go take a shower," he suggested. "You'll feel better. I'll watch Maddie."

"Are you sure?" She asked, thinking the offer sounded really good.

"Of course," he said, stepping forward and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Go."

Kate disappeared down the hall to enjoy her shower as Lin sat down in the living room where Maddie was playing. Maddie launched herself at Lin, and he proceeded to tickle her gently.

"What are you up to, you little monkey?" He asked her.

"I'm playing Wonder Woman!" she told him, if he hadn't guessed from her outfit. Apparently she was obsessed. She had the full costume, including a headband. She stood up and struck a pose and proceeded to demonstrate a couple stealthy moves. The four year old kicked into the air and protected herself against attack using her shield. He played along, tossing a toy block at her shield.

When Kate walked back into the room 20 minutes later, the living room was a mess. Blocks and toys were everywhere, and Maddie had Lin pretend locked-up in jail underneath the kitchen table.

"Do I get a phone call?" he asked.

"No," she said decisively in a commanding voice.

"I haven't been reading my Miranda rights," he protested, causing Kate to chuckle. The reference went over Maddie's head, of course.

"Silence!" She commanded him. "You will only receive broccoli to eat for the next 5 weeks."

He gasped dramatically. "Broccoli for 5 weeks?!"

"Yes," she said. "Don't argue, or I'll make it asparagus and your pee will smell funny."

Lin suppressed a laugh and Kate shook her head.

"Alright, Maddie," she said. "I think it's time you let Lin out of jail. It's time to pick up this mess."

"But mommy," she protested.

"No buts," she told her daughter. "Once you clean up we can go to the park."

The promise made a difference. Lin got out and helped Maddie clean up the vast number of blocks and other toys he'd pelted her shield with. After 5 minutes or so, the place was looking picked up. The three of them headed out the door and walked down the street together. Maddie insisted on walking in the middle and swinging in between.

"1-2-3!" she prompted them, and the adults lifted her up for some air-time. They reached the park and let Maddie run wild as they relaxed on a park bench.

"She's so creative," Lin observed as they watched her interacting with other kids.

"That she is," Kate agreed. "She has a very active imagination. I imagine you did as a kid as well?"

"My parents would probably agree with that," Lin admitted. "I was always making up stories. We're kindred spirits."

Kate was quiet for a few long moments. "Lin...I don't want Maddie to get too attached if you're not..."

"If I'm not..." Lin prompted her.

"If you're not thinking about this long term," she finished. "If Maddie gets too attached to you and it doesn't work out, she'll be devastated. You're becoming a big part of her life right now. More so than her father."

Lin nodded in understanding. "I know," he said. "I would never want to upset Maddie. And I'm not going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, looking at him. Lin took her hand in his.

"I want to be with you," he told her. "I'm crazy about you, and I'm crazy about your kid too."

"So, are we making this official?" She asked him.

Lin nodded. "Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Kate wrapped her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Boyfriend and girlfriend."

They let Maddie play for another good half hour before she was starting to get cranky, getting upset over a little disagreement. Kate got up and took her hand, leading her back to the bench where Lin was sitting. Maddie climbed up into Lin's lap and rested her head against his chest.

"I think it's time we went home," Kate told her, pushing some fallen hair away from her face.

"But I don't wanna go," she protested, her voice giving away how tired she was.

"Yep, come on," she said, standing up. Lin pushed himself up to standing and readjusted Maddie. She wrapped her little arms around his neck as he used his own arms to support her bottom. Maddie rested her head on his shoulder as he began to walk them home.

After only a minute or so, she was fast asleep. Lin gently rubbed her back until they got home. Kate opened her bedroom door and Lin gently laid her down on her bed. Wonder Woman sheets, of course. He took off her shoes and pulled the sheet over her. Kate took his hand and they left the room, shutting the door behind them.

In the hallway, Kate turned and took both his hands in hers. She lifted up slightly on her tip toes to kiss his lips. There was something about the way he was with Maddie – so gentle and caring – that made him even more attractive. Being a single mother, she wasn't just looking for someone for herself. She was looking for a father figure for Madeline.

"Thank you," she said after pulling away slightly.

"For what?" he whispered.

"For taking my mind off things today," she said. "And for being so good with Maddie."

His hands rubbed her hips. "Of course. She's such a sweet girl. And her mother is hot."

She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body close to his. He began kissing her hungrily and started walking her back towards the master bedroom. Kate returned his kisses with equal passion as she allowed him to lead her back towards the bed. He gently guided her to lay down, and soon his body was on top of hers, ready to show his affection for her.


	9. 9

Lin had to leave early the next morning for a meeting, before Maddie had gotten up, so she was disappointed to find that he wasn't there. Kate smiled that her daughter was so in love with him, but she worried as well. She really cared a lot about Lin, and she knew the feeling was mutual, but what if things didn't work out? Maddie would be devastated to lose him.

"Mommy, can I have Lucky Charms?" She asked, her hair ruffled from sleep.

"Nope, only on the weekend sweetheart," she reminded her daughter. Instead, she pulled out Cheerios and poured her a bowl. Kate set it on the table along with a spoon and smoothed Maddie's hair back a little. As Maddie began her breakfast, the doorbell rang and Kate went to answer it.

As the door opened, the person on the other side was not someone she was happy to see.

"Jason," she breathed out in shock as her eyes met the form of her ex. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, hands in his pockets. He gave her a weak smile.

"Hi Kate," he said, knowing this was a complete surprise.

"What..." she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm in town and I thought I'd stop by and see my kid."

Kate sighed and rubbed at her forehead with her fingers. "Jason, you can't just randomly stop by. You're going to confuse her."

"How? She remembers me."

"Are you sure about that? It's been at least a year, Jason. She's only four. She has no memory of you."

"Well, I'd like to be in her life more now," he went on. "I assume you got a letter about custody?"

"Yeah, thanks for that," she said, scratching the back of her head. "I thought you lived several hours away."

"I'm moving back," he said. "I'm looking for work this week and looking for an apartment. A two bedroom, so Maddie can have her own room."

"Fantastic," she said. "Well, Maddie's eating her breakfast right now, so it's really not a good time."

"How is it not a good time?"

They were interrupted by the door opening. Maddie's blue eyes stared up at them, wondering why her mother had stepped outside.

"Mommy, can I have apple juice?"

"Sure, sweetie. Just a minute. Go back to the table, please," she told her daughter. Maddie looked at the man in confusion.

"Who's that?"

"Nobody, sweetheart,"

"I'm your dad, Maddie," he said in a cheerful voice, kneeling down to her level. "Don't you remember me?"

Maddie took her mother's hand and stepped a little closer to her. She shook her head.

"That's okay," Jason told her, rubbing his hands together. He supposed asking for a hug would be a bit too much at this point. "Would you like to hang out a little later today?"

Maddie chewed on a fingernail and shrugged.

"What's your favorite thing to do? Chuck E. Cheese? McDonald's?"

That caught the little girl's attention. "McDonald's!!" She said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.

Kate sighed. "Actually, I try not to take her there," she said. Jason stood up and gave his ex a look. "Maddie, go finish your breakfast."

The little girl complied this time, skipping back to the breakfast table. Kate looked back towards her husband. "Two o'clock. You can have her for three hours."

Jason nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Kate. I'll be back then."

Kate's shoulders slumped as she went back inside and closed the door behind her. Maddie was eating her cereal again, excited about the prospect of going to McDonald's later.

"Mommy, is he really gonna take me to McDonald's?" She asked excitedly.

"I guess so," Kate said as she went to the kitchen to clean up.

"Is he my real daddy?" Maddie asked curiously.

Kate stopped what she was doing and walked over to sit at the table with her young daughter. "Yes, sweetheart. That's your father. He's been away for a little while, so you probably don't remember him."

Kate played with her daughter's hair, straightening it out and tucking it behind her ear. "Do you want to hang out with him later?"

"Yeah!" She said, and Kate knew the primary reason was because she'd been promised McDonald's. She was a bit weary of new people, but Jason knew the way to her heart.

As the day went on, Kate tried to push the thought of the date to the back of her mind. She hated the thought of allowing Maddie to go off with him for three hours. He barely knew anything about her. It was like giving her daughter to a stranger. As the 2:00 hour neared, Kate began to feel more and more anxious. With Maddie's diabetes, she was even more nervous about letting her go. When the doorbell rang again at 2:00, Maddie rushed to answer it.

"Daddy!" She greeted him excitedly this time. Maddie took his hand and led him over to some of her toys. Kate walked into the room and watched them for a few moments. He was very much hands-on now, but she had a feeling that would fade. When Maddie was a baby, he would get irritated at her constant needs. Kate usually ended up providing 95% of her care.

"Jason, I need to talk to you before you leave," she said.

"Sure," he said, giving a toy back to Maddie. He stood up and followed Kate to the kitchen.

"You may have forgotten that Maddie's diabetic," she explained. "You need to watch out for signs that her blood sugar is too low. She gets tired and lethargic and a bit irritable. I'll show you how to check her blood sugar now."

Kate picked up the device and walked over to Maddie. "Alright, baby, we need to show your dad how to check your blood sugar."

Jason watched closely as Kate pricked their daughter's finger, collected a sample, and inserted it into the machine. It showed a normal level. Kate gave Jason several packets of fruit snacks in case her blood sugar dropped. She should be okay for a few hours, but she didn't want to take any chances. Kate needed to make this as easy as she could for Jason, for Maddie's sake.

A few minutes later, Maddie was waving goodbye to her and was out the door. As soon as the door shut, Kate felt tears form at her eyes. She was so worried and her gut wrenched. Taking a moment to compose herself, she unlocked her cell phone and pulled up Lin's number in her contacts. She pressed "call" and waited for him to answer.

"Hey, babe," he greeted her.

"Hey," she said. He could immediately tell something was wrong.

"What is it, Kate?"

"Jason...my ex," she said. "He came by this morning. He and Maddie just left to hang out for a couple hours. I'm a mess."

"Damn," he commented, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry to hear that Kate. How was Maddie?"

"A bit uneasy at first, but he promised her McDonald's, so she soon came around."

"Yeah, that'll do it," he agreed. "Look, I'm sure she'll be fine for a couple hours. I'm just finishing up at the theatre, so I could stop by."

"That would be great," she said, not wanting to be alone.

"Alright, I'll be there within a half hour."

They hung up and Kate went back to her bedroom to lay down and relax for a few minutes. Lin arrived about half an hour later as promised, finding his girlfriend teary eyed. He immediately pulled her into his arms as she began to cry.

"It's okay," he tried to comfort her, running his hands up and down her back. "She'll only be gone a few hours."

"But he said he's moving back," she told him, pulling away to look at him. "He's going to want to see her all the time. I can't handle that."

Lin took her face in his hands and brushed away some of her tears with his thumbs. "I know," he said. "That'll be really hard. But I'm gonna be here for you. We'll get through this."

Kate rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him again. It felt so good to have someone to rely on. Someone who could help her. She was so used to doing everything on her own. They hugged for another minute before Lin kissed her temple and pulled back. 

"Come on, let's go lay down," he took her hand and led her back to her bedroom. Lin guided her to lay down and he scooted up behind her, his front flush with her back. He kissed her cheek and her shoulder as he cuddled her close. They stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other.

After a while, Kate was finally ready to get up and face the world. They moved out to the living room and watched some TV to take her mind off her daughter behind away. Lin noticed her continually watching the clock, waiting for 5:00 to roll around. When it passed and Madeline still hadn't arrived, she began to get very tense and worried. She called Jason's cell phone and he didn't answer. She called again 5 minutes later, and 5 minutes after that. Finally, the door opened and they walked in.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" She immediately accused him.

Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I was driving, Kate," he explained. "I don't like to talk and drive."

"Lin!!" Madeline ran to him in excitement. Lin allowed the four year old to pummel him as he sat on the couch. He pulled her up into his lap and kissed her forehead.

"Hey, Mads," he told her. "Did you have fun with your dad?"

"Yeah! I got a Happy Meal and he let me get ice cream too!"

"Lucky girl," he said as he stood up, picking Madeline up with him. He walked over to Jason and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Lin. Nice to meet you."

Jason looked him up and down, sizing her up. "Jason," he said, then looked at Kate. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend."

"It's not your business," she told him, crossing her arms. "Madeline, how are you feeling? Do you need a snack?"

She got down from Lin's arms and took his hand to lead him to her toys. "Nope, I'm fine."

Lin followed and sat cross-legged in front of her toys as she began to hand him things and chatter away.

Jason looked back to Kate and breathed out. "I guess I'm chopped liver now."

Kate walked him towards the door. "If you want to see her again, you need to give me more notice. I have work and she has preschool and other commitments. You can email me."

She opened the door to let him out. "Wow, good to see you too." 

Kate couldn't believe that he stepped forward with his arms out, expecting a hug. She stepped back with her arms crossed. "Goodbye, Jason."

He raised his eyebrows and turned to leave. Kate shut the door and ran her hands through her hair. Lin looked over at her and gave her a supportive wink. Kate didn't want to let Madeline out of her sight, so they spent the evening hanging out at the apartment. She and Lin made a nice dinner together, and then Madeline insisted that Lin read her a bedtime story. After three stories, he tucked her in and they both kissed her good night.

After closing the door, they both went into the master bedroom and laid down. Lin gently ran his hand up and down her arm.

"You doing okay now?' He asked her.

"Yeah," she admitted, giving him a small smile. "Thanks for keeping me sane."

"You bet," he told her, giving her a kiss on the lips. Then, he reached down and unbuttoned her jeans. "Now can I drive you insane?"

Kate laughed, very much needing to feel good and take her mind off the day. "Of course," she said, pulling his body closer to hers.


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter

Lin stayed the night again, but they tried to be careful about Madeline knowing. Kate awoke slowly the next morning to the feeling of Lin up against her back, gently rubbing her side. She became aware of his nose tucked just behind her ear, and then he began to press gentle kisses to her neck.

"Mmmmm..." she smiled at the way she was being woken up. The light was just starting to peek through the blinds.

"Morning," Lin told her in a gravelly morning voice. Kate loved his voice when he first woke up. It was incredibly sexy. Seeing she was awake, Lin carefully snaked his hand under her shirt to rub her bare skin as he continued to lavish kisses on her neck and her shoulder. His fingers eventually made their way to her breasts, gently kneading them in his palm. She let out little whimpers of pleasure, urging him on.

He gently tugged on the bottom of her ear with his teeth as his fingers travelled down to her panties, letting one finger play with the waistband, teasing her. Soon, he slipped his hand inside and she parted her legs for him. Two fingers began to gently push to her folds, teasing and massaging.

"Lin," she whispered, reaching back to run her hands through his hair. He propped himself up on his elbow to allow him to get a deeper angle as she turned her face to him. They captured each other's lips in a sweet kiss as Lin's fingers worked at her clit. Moans of pleasure escaped her lips as he pressed his tongue into her mouth, kissing her deeper.

Kate could feel his hardness pressed up against her back and it turned her on, knowing he was ready for her. With his left hand he pulled at her tiny pajama shorts and panties and began to work them down her legs. Once they were off, he placed his hand under her left thigh, urging her legs open a little more. He reached down to grab hold of himself, aching to be inside her.

Kate groaned as she felt him rub up against her, stroking a few times before he finally gently pushed himself inside her about halfway. He slowly pulled out, then thrust into her all the way, filling her up. He paused for a few moments, just enjoying the feeling of being inside her. He closed his eyes and let out a groan.

He then began to move rhythmically inside her from behind, listening to her little whimpers of pleasure as he moved. Lin reached his hand over her hip and let his fingers find her clit again, giving her more pleasure.

He began to pick up the pace, thrusting into her a bit harder and faster. She responded by moaning louder and raking her hand through his hair. After a few minutes, Lin pulled out and laid on his back so Kate could take over. She quickly crawled on top of him, stripping her shirt off in the process as she positioned herself over his hips. She leaned down to capture his lips in a deep kiss as his hands once again found her breasts. He palmed them a bit more aggressively this time, making her gasp.

Kate lowered herself down on to him until he was deep inside her again, then began bucking her hips back and forth. Lin placed his hands on either side of her hips, encouraging her along. The sight of her on top of him, riding him, was gorgeous.

Both of them felt their climaxes near and Kate leaned down to rest her head against Lin's. He caught her hips a couple inches in the air and held her steady as he began to thrust his hips up into her hard. The sound of their skin connecting, the rhythm slap of their bodies and their groans filled the room. Kate felt the familiar tightness in her belly and then felt a wave of pleasure wash over her as Lin pumped into her hard. She let out a scream of pleasure as her orgasm hit, Lin groaning a few moments later as he came himself. After the ebb began to fade, she collapsed on top of her boyfriend as they panted together. They kissed and then Kate let her head rest next to his. Lin kissed her on the forehead as she rolled off to the side and they just held each other as they caught their breath.

About fifteen minutes later, they heard movement in the hallway. Lin reached for his boxers and his t-shirt and quickly put them on. The plan was for Kate to take Maddie into the hallway to brush her teeth while Lin made his exit. They kissed each other goodbye, promising to text each other later to make plans. Kate made her way to the bathroom and Lin very carefully tiptoed down the hallway and out the apartment.

As Kate made her daughter breakfast, she found that she'd gotten quite a few texts from her ex. He was hoping to get together with Maddie again today. She texted back that she had pre-school then a play date in the afternoon. He offered to take her to dinner and she reluctantly accepted, but made him promise not to make it fast food.

Lin tried to cheer her up by bringing her Chinese. He arrived around six, plastic bag in hand with her favorite – chicken lo mein and crab rangoons. She was already in her sweats, over the world. They put on some crappy reality TV and ate their food.

"The custody hearing is next week," she told him as she twirled her noodles around her fork. "I don't know how fast the visitation starts after the judge rules."

"I imagine pretty immediately," Lin figured, though he was no expert on the subject. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday at 1:00," she said. "I've got a lawyer, but she doesn't think there's any way to stop him from getting visitation, or 50/50 custody. I just can't imagine not having Maddie here all the time. How can he just swoop in one day and decide he wants to be in her life? It's not fair to Maddie."

"No it's not," Lin agreed. "But I guess it's good he wants to be in her life."

Kate sighed, not really wanting to hear that, but knew it was true. Having both parents in your life was important for a kid.

"Look on the bright side," Lin ventured. "If Maddie spends weekends away, maybe we could go on a little trip together."

"Like where?"

"Somewhere special...like New Jersey," he teased. She laughed in spite of the mood she was in.

"Maybe we could go upstate. Get a cabin," he said.

"I didn't know you were the type to rough it," Kate teased.

"Hey, I never said the cabin wouldn't have electricity and WiFi," he said. "I have needs."

They both pushed around their food for a few more minutes as the TV droned on in the background.

"Do you want me to come to the hearing?" Lin asked gently.

She thought for a moment, looking down at her food. "I don't know if that would be such a good idea. I don't think Jason likes the idea that I have a boyfriend. He probably thinks he's being compared to you."

Lin nodded in understanding. "Let me know if you change your mind. I can be there."

"Thanks, Lin," she said, giving him a half smile. How did she manage to deserve this guy?

They cleaned up the Chinese take out boxes and snuggled up on the couch. At around 7:30, Madeline came bounding in, followed by Jason. She launched herself into her mother's arms.

"Mommy!!" She said gleefully, sitting in her lap.

"How was dinner?"

"Good. Daddy let me get ice cream."

 

"He did?" She stroked her hair back away from her face. "That was nice of him. Did you tell him thank you?"

"Thanks, Daddy," she said.

"You're welcome, munchkin," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Kate, can I talk to you for a minute? Privately?"

"Sure," she said, lifting Maddie off her lap. She immediately crawled into Lin's lap for more cuddles. Kate led Jason down the hallway to the master bedroom and closed the door.

"What is it, Jason?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I just wanted to check in with you about the custody hearing," he said, obviously a little nervous. "Umm...I'm planning on asking for joint custody."

"I know," she spat.

"But...I don't want this to be a problem. I know I haven't been around, but I love Maddie and I'm her father."

"I know," she said again. "You have every right to want to be in her life. I just don't see why you need to race ahead to full-blown joint custody. Couldn't you start with Wednesdays and every other weekend? She's four, Jason. She's very attached to me and she barely knows you."

 

"I know that's my fault," he said. "But I'm planning on living here now, so I'll be around. I want to be with her as much as I can. I've missed out on a lot."

"And whose fault is that?" She asked bluntly.

He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry to put you through this," he said. "I just wanted to get that out in the open."

"Duly noted," she said flatly and opened the door.

"One more thing," he said.

"What?" she asked shortly.

"This Lin guy..." he rubbed at his jaw. "Is he going to be around all the time?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Kate quipped.

"Well if he's going to be around my daughter a lot I feel like I have a right to know," he said.

"You don't," Kate said simply. "My personal life is none of your concern. Anything else?"

He looked at his feet and then began to walk away. As we walked down the hallway, I could hear the sounds of Lin and Maddie playing together on the floor. Her giggles always lifted my mood.

"I'm gonna head out, munchkin," he said, squatting down. Maddie walked over to her father and gave him a quick hug.

"Bye, Daddy," she said softly.

Jason stood up and looked at Kate. "Maybe I can take her out again tomorrow?"

"She doesn't need to be eating out every night, Jason."

 

"Maybe just to play in the park or something," he said. "I can cook her lunch or dinner at home."

Again, Kate felt like she couldn't say no. She nodded and told him to pick her up around 11. Kate closed the door behind him and locked it.

"Are you okay, mommy?" Maddie asked. Kate looked at her and smiled.

"I think we need some chocolate," she announced, which caused Maddie to cheer. She'd already had ice cream that night, but it just felt right. Maddie followed her mother to the kitchen, where she kept the stash of chocolate, way up high in the pantry where her daughter couldn't reach it. Kate broke off a row of Hershey's chocolate for each of them. They all sat down on the couch and enjoyed their treat.

"Is Lin sleeping over again?" Maddie asked innocently. Lin almost choked on his chocolate and coughed to clear it.

"What do you mean again?" Kate asked her.

"I saw him leave this morning," she said. "Were you having a slumber party?"

Kate and Lin looked at each other and smirked. "Something like that," she said. "Finish up your chocolate, then it's time to brush your teeth and go to bed."

The little girl laughed, happy, as she looked between her mom and Lin. Kate and Lin realized they probably needed to be a little more careful.


	11. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut in this chapter

The day of the custody hearing finally came, and Kate was a bundle of nerves. She dressed in a business suit with a skirt and pulled her dark brown hair up in a tasteful twist. As she finished off her make-up in the mirror, she looked at herself for several long moments. Did she look like a capable mother? Like someone who loved her daughter more than anything in the world? Would a judge look at her and decide to take away some of her custody so a low-life like her father could be in Madeline's life?

As she was doubting herself, Lin walked in and stood behind her, putting his hands on her hips. He knew she was terrified of what would happen today. He couldn't imagine raising Madeline single-handedly for four years then all of a sudden have someone swoop in, wanting to share custody. It must be tearing her up inside. He planted a kiss on her cheek.

"You're gonna be fine," he told her, making eye contact with her in the mirror. "Whatever happens, you're still Maddie's mom and she adores you."

Kate let out a breath. That wasn't enough. She couldn't imagine waking up in the morning and Madeline not being there. Instead, being across town with Jason. It made her feel sick.

"Just because he contributed the sperm, he's probably going to get at least some visitation rights," she complained. "Never mind he's been MIA for two years."

 

"But Maddie wouldn't exist without him," Lin pointed out. Kate sighed and turned around to face him. He put his hands on her hips and stepped in a little closer.

"Take some deep breaths," he told her. "You're gonna do great."

Kate tried to take his advice, but it was so hard. She couldn't keep calm when her daughter's welfare was in jeopardy. Jason knew nothing about how to raise a four-year-old. He thought good parenting meant catering to her every whim. McDonald's for dinner every day and staying up late. Maddie was such a good kid and she didn't want him to screw her up.

Lin leaned forward and captured her lips in a sweet kiss, jogging her mind away from her worries temporarily. She closed her eyes and gently kissed him back. She was so lucky to have him in her life.

"Call me as soon as it's over," he told her. "And I'll come over tonight."

She nodded and he gave her hip a supportive pat. The hearing was in the afternoon, so she had all morning at work to worry. The hours passed a snail's pace. She could barely eat anything for lunch, but forced herself to swallow down a little something.

Finally, it was time to head to the courthouse. Like she'd heard, there was a lot of waiting around. The case was supposed to start at 1:00, but it wasn't until 1:45 they were called in. Jason was there, dressed up in a suit, looking responsible with his lawyer. She took a seat at her own table with her lawyer. The judge walked in and we all stood, then sat down. As she took a seat, she realized her hands were trembling. She sat on them.

"We are here today to rule on the custody agreement of the minor child Madeline Elizabeth Groves," the judge announced. Kate hated that Madeline had his last name, but we'd been together at the time. Semantics. She didn't belong to him.

"Mr. Jason Groves is petitioning for joint custody," he said, looking through his paperwork. "And Kate Hamilton would like to retain full custody."

Jason's lawyer was allowed to speak first. They went through all the usual mumbo-jumbo about the fact he was Madeline's biological father and that he had every right to see his child. He was gainfully employed and had a suitable residence. No criminal record.

When it was her lawyer's turn, she pointed out that Kate had raised Madeline single-handedly for most of their daughter's four years. Jason had been completely absent from his child's life for several years, and the child barely knew him. At the tender age of four, it would be cruel to take the child away from her mother for 50% of the time.

Kate and Jason were both questioned by the judge. Kate tried to push through her discomfort and force her voice to sound confident and capable. Inside, she was shaking. It was all a blur. She was sure she answered the questions, but she had no idea what they were or what she'd answered.

Finally, the judge called a recess, so he could make a decision. It was the middle of the afternoon so there was nothing really to do but sit around and wait. A couple hours later, everyone was called back in. They again went through the motions of rising and sitting for the judge.

"After weighing both sides, I have come to my decision. Since Madeline has been entirely in her mother's care, I feel it would be traumatic to the child to be taken away from her mother half time. Therefore, I'm ruling visitation rights to the child's father, Jason Groves. Sir, you will be allowed custody of your daughter every Wednesday and every other weekend. Court is adjourned."

Kate let out a sigh of relief. She didn't want to be away from her daughter at all, but this was the best possible scenario. She thought Madeline could handle one night away a week and a couple weekends a year. Kate thanked her lawyer and they were all free to go. She made her way out quickly, so she wouldn't have to talk to Jason.

Kate caught the bus and as soon as she was sitting, she texted the good news to Lin. He was relieved as well and promised to take her out to celebrate. Kate got home and Maddie ran to her. Her mother had been watching her for the afternoon. Kate realized she needed to sit her daughter down and explain what was going to happen. She needed to frame it in a way that wasn't scary. She'd talk with Lin tonight after Maddie had gone to bed.

Kate's mom left, and Lin arrived shortly after. Madeline instantly began using him as her personal jungle gym, climbing up his legs and jumping on his back. Lin gave her a piggy back ride down the subway as they headed out to dinner.

Lin ordered them a bottle of wine at the restaurant to celebrate and they all got dessert. Kate realized that may have been a mistake on the way home when Madeline was giggling uncontrollably, completely slap-happy. When they got home, Lin played with her hard, helping her to get her energy out. We were finally able to wrangle her into the bathtub to scrub her down, then Lin read her a couple bedtime stories.

Kate poured them both a glass of wine while he read stories, then sat on the couch. Lin joined her a few minutes later. She sat back and put her feet up in Lin's lap, relaxing.

"So how do you feel?" Lin asked me as we sat in the quiet.

"Relieved," Kate said as she swallowed some wine. "I mean, I'd rather he just disappeared, but this was the best possible outcome. Having a break from her one night a week could be nice."

"We can have some alone time too," he reminded Kate, and made his eyebrows dance up and down. Kate laughed.

"I'm a little worried about what kind of father he'll be," Kate admitted.

"How so?"

"Well, every time he takes her out they go to McDonald's. I don't know if he plans on enforcing a regular bedtime, but she needs one. I'm just not sure if he's prepared to actually parent her and not be the fun guy who takes her out to dinner."

"It'll probably be a lot more work than he realizes," Lin said. "I'm here part of the time and she exhausts me."

"She adores you," Kate said. Lin smirked and put his wine glass down on the table. He began massaging one of her feet. She let out a groan of pleasure and closed her eyes. She'd been in heels all day. "Don't stop."

Lin continued to work at her foot, then switched to the other, sending her into relaxation. He watched her face, glad that he was able to put her at ease after an incredibly stressful day. It looked like she could possibly fall asleep, so he stopped and patted her leg.

"How about a bubble bath?" He suggested.

"That sounds nice," she said. Lin gently guided her legs off his lap and they walked back to the master bedroom of her apartment. He found the bubble bath in the cabinet and started to run a bath. Kate found her pajamas and some fresh undies then walked into the bathroom to strip down. Lin peeled off his shirt, then his jeans and boxers. They climbed in together, Lin sitting behind Kate. She reclined against him as they let the scent of the bubbles further relax them.

They laid there for several minutes, just enjoying the feel of the hot water and each other's bodies. Lin's hands rested on her belly, but he allowed them to travel up to her breasts, fondling them gently. She moaned as he gently worked them in his hands, his nose resting just behind her ear.

"You're beautiful," he whispered to her, planting a kiss to her hair. Lin let his right hand travel down her belly between the apex of her thighs. Kate let her legs fall apart a bit more, giving him more access as his fingers began to work at her clit.

Kate moaned as his strong fingers stroked her gently, patiently. His nose nuzzled her ear and he occasionally planted a kiss on her hair. He let one finger work its way inside her, curling it back as he worked. His left hand went to her breast as her face began to become flushed with pleasure.

"Lin," she whispered as he pushed another finger inside her. He gently stroked and rubbed at her, his finger gently brushing against her clit. He felt her tighten a bit and her sounds changed as she got closer to orgasm. His fingers began working a bit harder, faster and her breathing increased. Finally, she arched her back and he felt her walls clamp down around his fingers as her orgasm hit. She called out in pleasure as his fingers took her over the edge. As she relaxed against him, he took out his fingers and gently stroked at her folds. She giggled a little and turned her head so they could kiss.

"You're good at that," she told him, biting her lip. He grinned and reached for the soap, beginning to rub it over her tummy and breasts. She took it from him and began to soap up his legs, then passed it back and sat up. Lin worked the soap over her back and then between her legs, then soaped the rest of his stomach and chest. After they were clean, they sat back for a few more minutes as the water began to cool.

Finally, Kate reached for the plug and pulled it. She stood up first, and Lin admired his view of her backside as she stepped out. They both toweled off and Kate reached for her panties.

"Uh-uh," he stopped her, grinning. Lin took the panties from her hand and tossed them on the floor. He then gently led her backwards towards the bed. They were both already naked – it would be a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste. Kate giggled as he guided her to lay down on her back on the bed and they began to kiss deeply and passionately. She grinned as she reached down to stroke him and found he was already rock hard.

"Lin-Manuel," she teased him, and he leaned down to capture her lips in his. They passionately made love on the bed, and soon fell asleep in each other's arms. It all felt right.


	12. 12

Kate reluctantly began to settle into a routine with Madeline's care. Every other weekend and every Wednesday she was with her father. She spent the whole time worrying and missing her daughter. Lin did his best to distract her. He was now spending most nights at Kate's.

One particular Friday night, Madeline was with her father and Lin and Kate stayed in with a movie. Lin could tell when she was worrying about her daughter. Her forehead wrinkled and she got quiet. He gave her hand a supportive squeeze and tried to hug her reassuringly.

"Stop worrying," he told her gently as he stroked her hair.

"Sorry," she apologized, knowing she wasn't being much fun. When Maddie was away, she felt subdued and not in the mood to do much.

"Don't apologize," he said.

"It's just that he's had very little to do with her life," she explained. "He doesn't know how to take care of her."

"Well, she's pretty independent," Lin reminded her.

"Yeah, but she's got diabetes," she reminded him. "It makes me nervous that he's not paying attention and he's not going to know what to do."

"Well, if he's not sure he knows he can call you," he said. Lin glanced up at the clock. It was 11:00. He stood up and held out his hand. "Come on," he said. "Let's go to bed."

Kate accepted his hand and let him lead her to the bedroom.

The next day, they had a lazy morning, going out for brunch and taking a nice walk in the park. Kate hadn't received any phone calls saying Maddie was crying and upset, which was good. She worried that Maddie would be uncomfortable being with her dad, especially at bed time. So far, so good.

On Sunday, Jason brought Maddie back a little early at around 4:00. When the little girl walked in, she looked tired. Jason pushed her bangs back as he brought her inside.

"She hasn't been feeling well the last hour or so?" He confessed to his ex.

"Have you checked her blood sugar lately?" Kate asked, kneeling down in front of her daughter.

"Uh...no," Jason admitted. Kate sighed and guided her daughter to sit on the couch. She got out the monitor and quickly checked her. Her blood sugar was low.

"Jason, her blood sugar is low," she told him as she went to the kitchen to get a snack. She came back with some fruit snacks. "If she gets lethargic like this, you need to check. Madeline, you know that when you feel this way you need to ask."

"Sorry Mommy," she said quietly as she began to eat her fruit snacks.

"It's not your fault," Kate told her, feeling more frustrated than ever with her ex. "Jason, can I speak with you privately?"

They went back to the master bedroom to talk.

"If you cannot take care of our daughter, I am going to refuse to let her go with you," Kate told him firmly. "You cannot let her blood sugar get low like that."

"Kate, I'm sorry," he said. "It won't happen again. And you don't have the authority to decide if Maddie comes to me or not."

"Well, if anyone gets on my case about it, I'll let them know you've been neglectful. Don't threaten me," she said, crossing her arms. Jason just stared at her for a few long moments. His ex was really making this situation difficult.

He wordlessly left the room and walked over to Maddie, who was already busy playing with Lin on the floor. Jason gave her a kiss and a hug goodbye, then left.

Kate watched Lin and Maddie playing and felt relief. She seemed to already be feeling better, which was good. She was only four years old, and didn't realize how her diabetes worked yet. It was too much to expect a four year year old to regulate her own blood sugar. She didn't understand how her blood sugar corresponded to how she was feeling. And she shouldn't have to think about it yet. That's why she needed a responsible adult with her at all times. Kate was now even more worried than before.

"Let's go out to eat tonight," Kate announced, wanting to celebrate the return of her daughter.

"Yay!" Madeline celebrated. If it were up to her, they'd be going to McDonald's, but Kate wanted to go somewhere a bit more nutritious. They ended up hitting up a Panera-like local restaurant a couple blocks away. Maddie talked a mile a minute, telling them all about her weekend with her dad.

Kate was pretty sure Maddie hadn't been bathed since Thursday night, so once they got home she went straight into the tub. She requested for Lin to wash her hair, and he happily obliged. He carefully rinsed her soapy hair with warm cups of water. Once she was in her pajamas, she ran to her room, ready for stories.

Madeline was obsessed with Lin. She insisted he read to her. Kate stood in the door frame, leaning against it, watching Lin read quietly to her daughter. He made voices and had Maddie cackling with laughter. He really would make a great father.

Once the stories were finished, Kate came in to kiss her good night, then they closed the door. Now that her daughter was home, Kate relaxed in Lin's arms on the couch as they watched some television.

"You feeling better?" He asked her.

"Yes," she smiled. "Though I'm really concerned that Jason didn't think about her blood sugar being low."

"Yeah, that's a little worrying," he said. "Does Maddie understand what's going on when she feels bad?"

"Vaguely," Kate said as she examined his fingers. She wasn't sure how she found his hands sexy, but she did. They were long and looked strong and capable. "She's still a bit young to make a connection. When she gets a bit older, she can actually wear a device that will continually give her insulin. It's like a smart monitor. It will make things so much easier."

"That'll be nice," he said. "I was thinking I should probably learn how to test her too. In case I'm ever with her alone."

Kate nodded in agreement. The next morning, when it was time to check her blood sugar levels, she showed Lin how to do it. She let him do it as she walked him through it. Lin was impressed at how brave Maddie was about being pricked. She was used to it by now. He looked at the results and saw her numbers looked good. Maddie went outside to play.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" Kate asked as they watched Maddie run around, laughing.

"Well, it's not my goal in life to make children bleed," Lin said. "I could never be a nurse or doctor."

"That makes two of us," Kate agreed. "It took me a while to get used to pricking her. Made me flinch. What I'm not ready for is when she's old enough to do it to herself. I can't imagine pricking myself willingly."

"No, that sounds awful," he agreed. Maddie had a little while to play, then it was time for preschool. Lin offered to get her ready while Kate finished up in the bathroom. They dropped her off together and then both had places to be. After Kate had kissed him goodbye, she realized how much he'd become part of their daily lives. He helped with Maddie, cooked dinner, helped around the apartment, and stayed over most nights. It was almost like they were a little family. Kate had to admit it felt right.


	13. 13

Kate was starting to feel a bit run-down, and she was truthfully a little happy that Maddie would be spending the night with her father on Wednesday. She would still miss her like crazy, but it was nice just to be able to relax and not worry about her. When he'd picked her up, Kate give Jason a firm reminder about checking her blood sugar. Jason was not going to let that happen again and face the wrath of his ex.

Lin got out of the shower that Thursday morning, a towel wrapped around his waist, and knelt down next to where Kate was still in bed. Her hand was to her head and she had no desire to get out of bed.

"Can I get you something?" He asked gently.

She shook her head. "I just feel awful."

"Maybe a bath or shower would feel good?" He suggested. Kate nodded, and Lin went back into the bathroom to run her a bubble bath. Kate stripped her clothes off and climbed into the hot water, feeling her body relax. After a few minutes of relaxing, she felt her stomach churn and knew she was about to throw up. She managed to get out of the tub and to the toilet in time.

Lin had since dressed and started the coffee when he heard his girlfriend throwing up. He walked to the bedroom and saw her on the floor. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body, then began rubbing her back.

"Do you feel any better?" He asked.

"No," she said honestly. Lin looked at his watch. She was due into work in less than an hour.

"You should probably call in sick to work," he said. She nodded, then flushed the toilet. She found some clean underwear and pajamas and crawled back into bed. Lin had somewhere to be, so he left her with some crackers and water. He kissed her head and reluctantly left her.

When the same thing kept happening multiple times a week, Lin became concerned. By mid-morning she seemed better, but it also happened in the afternoons sometimes. When she was struggling one evening with Maddie, he decided he should say something. Madeline was battling bedtime and Kate was feeling awful.

"Madeline, go brush your teeth now," she said, obviously almost at her limit. "Don't make me ask you again."

The little girl ignored her mother, instead choosing to play with some of her toys in her room. She was in her pj's but was still in the mood to play. Lin decided to step in. He walked over to Maddie and knelt down next to her.

"Sweetheart, your mother asked you to go brush your teeth," he reminded her gently. "Let's go."

"I wanna play," she said as she tried to put some clothes on her Barbie doll. Lin gently took it from her hands and set it down in her dollhouse.

"Sorry, it's time for bed," he told her, taking her hand. "Let's go."

Maddie thankfully didn't argue any further and followed Lin to the bathroom. She asked him to sing the toothbrushing song, which he now knew thanks to listening to Kate. Once she was done, Lin had her use the restroom then join him on the bed for story time.

After he'd finished the stories, Lin wandered out to the living room where Kate had already holed up on the couch with a blanket. She looked exhausted. Lin walked over and sat on the edge of the couch.

"Sweetheart, you've been feeling sick for a while now," he pointed out, gently rubbing her side. "Do you think maybe something's going on?"

"Like what?" She asked, rubbing her head.

"Well," he paused. "We're careful, but do you think there's a possibility you might be pregnant?"

She scoffed at the suggestion. "No," she said. "I never got morning sickness with Maddie."

Lin's older sister had three boys of her own, and each of her pregnancies had been different. She'd gotten morning sickness with one of her sons, but was fine with the other.

"Well, maybe we should get a test just to make sure," he suggested. "I'll pick one up tomorrow."

"Okay," she relented.

"Alright," he said. "Let's get you to bed."

Kate slipped into bed a few minutes later, and Lin joined her so they could cuddle a bit. He spooned her from behind, pressing gentle kisses to her neck and hair.

"Do you really think I could be pregnant?" She asked him.

"Well, there's a chance," he pointed out. "Have you missed a period?"

"No, not yet," she said. "I'm due later in the week."

"Maybe it's nothing but it'll give you peace of mind to do a test," he pointed out. She agreed, and couldn't keep her eyelids open any longer. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep.

Kate again felt sick the next morning, and she further worried she might be pregnant. Not that it was a terrible thing. She loved Lin and so did Maddie, and he'd make a wonderful dad. But, they weren't married and they still weren't terribly far into their relationship. Having a child together would obviously be a huge adjustment.

She pushed her way through work, but immediately collapsed on the couch when she got home after picking up Maddie. Lin came home a little later with a bag from the pharmacy. Kate breathed out, dreading the test. What if it was positive? What if it was negative - what was going on with her body?

They made their way through their regular evening routine. Lin made a simple dinner, then took the lead putting Maddie to bed. When he came out, he grabbed the bag from the kitchen and set it on the coffee table.

"Moment of truth," he said as he sat down. "Should we get it over with?"

Kate nodded and pushed herself up to sitting. She grabbed the box out of the bag and headed to the bathroom. Kate did the deed, then held the test up, letting it face down as the instructions said. She set the timer for three minutes and paced the floor. When her timer went off, she took a deep breath and then looked at the test. Positive.

Kate's heart skipped a beat. Was she really pregnant? With Lin's child? Her mouth fell open in surprise. She'd really thought it was a false alarm. She swallowed, wondering what this would mean for their relationship. She sat on the toilet seat and just stared at the test..

A few minutes later, Lin knocked on the door. "Baby, you okay?"

"Uh, yeah," she said. "You can come in."

Lin could tell she was feeling a bit unsure. He sat down on the bathtub side, directly across from the toilet.

"What does it say?" He asked gently.

"Positive," she said softly, then looked up at him. Lin couldn't help himself - he smiled widely. He'd always wanted to be a dad. Obviously, it wasn't the best scenario, but Lin loved Kate and thought they were heading into a long-term relationship, and possibly marriage.

Lin squatted down in front of her and put his hands on either side of her face. He kissed her sweetly then looked at her face.

"That's amazing, Kate," he said.

She nodded, but didn't seem entirely convinced. "This isn't how it's supposed to work."

"I know it's kind of out of order," he admitted, sitting back down. "But I love you and I want to be with you. And I adore Maddie."

"But I'm gonna get huge again and we'll have to have pregnant sex," she complained. Lin couldn't help but laugh.

"You're beautiful," he assured her. "And you're going to be beautiful pregnant. We don't have to have sex while you're pregnant if it makes you uncomfortable."

"I'll look disgusting," she got teary eyed, making Lin smile. It was amusing that this was what she was most concerned about.

"No you won't," he said firmly. "How could I think you're disgusting when you're carrying my child?"

Kate smiled through her tears and bit her lip. "So...we're doing this?"

"I'm all in," he told her. They both stood up and kissed, then wrapped their arms around each other. Lin let his hand travel to her belly and stroked it gently. She obviously wasn't showing yet, but inside there was a tiny little thing that was theirs. Half his and half hers. He couldn't wait to meet it.


	14. 14

Lin and Kate didn't tell anyone about her pregnancy yet, including Madeline. They wanted to confirm with a doctor and wait until the baby was a little farther along. Twelve weeks was generally thought of as a safe time.

Lin insisted on going to the doctor with Kate. The nurse showed them into an exam room, where Kate had to change into a gown. Lin could tell Kate was nervous, so he held her hand and tried to keep her chatting to take her mind off of things. Apparently, Madeline's pregnancy had had some complications, and she was nervous about the same thing happening. Lin tried to reassure her not to worry about things they couldn't know. Maybe the pregnancy would go perfectly this time.

The doctor came in and introduced herself to the couple. The exam would include an internal examination with a wand. Kate took a deep breath out as it was guided inside her, then squeezed Lin's hand. He squeezed back.

Their eyes went to the monitor, a sea of black with gray and white blips. The doctor began moving the wand around inside and the images changed slightly. Finally, she paused and pointed to the screen with her finger.

"And that," she said. "Is your baby."

Kate and Lin smiled widely, and squeezed hands again.

"You look to be about five weeks along," she told them as she pressed buttons on her computer to capture images. A minute or so later, the wand was removed.

"Alright, Kate," she said, pushing her keyboard station away. "We'll want to see you once a month. You'll want to start taking prenatal vitamins."

Kate brought up her concern about having complications. The doctor assured her that everything looked normal at this point and they would tackle any problem if it came up. She promised to be very direct and honest with Kate and Lin about their pregnancy.

They left the office and walked down the street, hand in hand. "What do you say we go celebrate?" He suggested.

Kate agreed and they went to one of their favorite restaurants, where they ordered a giant chocolate dessert. It was a molten lava cake - a warm brownie, filled with hot fudge, topped off with ice cream. Kate seemed relieved. She chatted and laughed, now that the news was official. She'd always wanted more children, but the right opportunity hadn't come along. Lin noticed that she seemed to glow, and it made him love her even more.

They went home and made love, feeling even closer to each other now that they were having a baby together. Afterwards, they held each other in bed, just enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms.

"Should we tell anyone yet?" Lin wondered out loud as he let his fingers gently trail up and down her bare arm.

"Maybe family," she said. "I'm not sure how Maddie will react. I think she'll be excited, but I don't know."

They decided to tell Maddie that evening. After dinner, they set her down with a bowl of ice cream, drowned in chocolate syrup. They all sat at the table as Maddie chatted on about her day.

"So, Maddie, we have some exciting news to tell you," Kate began.

"What is it?!" She asked excitedly, watching the chocolate drip from her spoon.

"Mommy's going to have a baby!" She said, smiling. Maddie gasped in and smiled widely.

"I get a little sister?"

"Well, we don't know if it will be a boy or a girl yet."

"I want it to be a girl," she decided.

"We'll have to wait and see," she said. "So you'll be a big sister."

"I'll be a good big sister," Maddie decided. "I'll show her how to use the monkey bars and the best candy."

"I'm sure you will be," Kate said, tucking some hair behind her hair so she didn't get chocolate in it. Kate imagined what her new baby would look like. Lin was obviously of Hispanic heritage, so he or she would have dark features. She knew their baby would be gorgeous.

Maddie chatted more about what she was going to show the baby. Kate was relieved that she seemed excited. When the baby actually came, there might be a bit of jealousy, but Madeline would love her sibling. Kate couldn't wait to see them play together.

At bedtime, Kate read her daughter stories. As she finished, Maddie had some questions about the baby.

"Where is the baby?"

"It's in my belly right now," Kate explained. She laughed when Maddie pushed up her shirt and started talking to her young sibling.

"How did it get there?" She asked curiously. Kate bit her lip, wondering how to explain appropriately.

"Well, Lin gave me a special seed that goes in my belly," she decided. "There's a tiny little egg in my belly, and when they connect they start to grow a baby."

"How big is the baby?"

"Very tiny," she said. "Probably about the size of your thumbnail."

Madeline examined her fingernail, trying to imagine a baby that size. She had a few more questions for her mother, then seemed satisfied. Kate kissed her good night and tucked her in.

When she walked out to the living room, Lin was on the phone with his mother. He had told her about the baby and she was obviously very excited. Kate had yet to meet Lin's parents, but he assured her they would love her. Kate smiled as she sat down, getting out a book to read. A few minutes later, Lin hung up.

"My mom already has ideas for names," he told her, tucking his phone in his back pocket. Kate stood up and they both put their hands on each other's hips. Lin bit his lip as he looked into Kate's eyes. He'd never been this happy before.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her gently.

She sighed, a content look on her face. "I'm thinking I need to get a bigger place."

Her current apartment only had two bedrooms. So did his.

"I've been thinking about that too," he admitted. "We could pool our money. Get a three bedroom."

She smiled, loving that he was on the same page as her. "Let's check the listings."

They got out her laptop and set up an account on Zillow, and specified a price range. Lin was overly attached to Washington Heights, so they kept their search in that area. There were quite a few good possibilities. They marked their favorites and decided they'd call a few places the next day.

That night, they fell asleep in each other's arms, thinking hopefully about the future.


	15. 15

As the next few months passed, Lin and Kate seemed to fall even more and more in love. They started looking for apartments immediately and soon found the perfect one. It was three bedrooms and they had a wonderful view of the Hudson River. They quickly moved on it, knowing it would soon be snatched up. They moved in and terminated the leases on their old apartments. Maddie got an upgraded bed. She'd had a toddler bed she was getting a bit big for, and now she had a twin-sized bed. She even got to pick out the bedspread.

Maddie seemed thrilled to have Lin officially living with them full time. She adored him, and was constantly all over him and asking him to play. She was also starting to get more comfortable with him and was starting to test his limits. Up until now, he'd been more of a fun uncle, but now that he was no longer a guest he had to be a bit firmer.

"Let's go!" Maddie tried to hurry Lin along, anxious to go to the park.

"Not until you pick up your toys like I asked," Lin said as he cleaned a few things up in the kitchen.

"No!" She told him, kicking at one of her toys.

"Madeline, that's not how you treat your toys," he told her firmly. "Pick them up please."

The little girl laid down on the floor, spreading her arms and legs out, and cried. It was so unfair. Lin sighed and wiped his hands on a towel.

"I'm going to count to three," he told her over her crying. "One...two...."

He gave her some extra wait time, but she wasn't moving. "Three."

She screeched as he walked over to her. Lin picked her up and then carried her back to her bedroom. He set her down on her bed. "Stay here until I come get you."

Lin shut the door and she began to cry louder. He went to the living room and sat down, turning on the TV to drown out the noise a bit. Madeline didn't like that he was setting firm limits and not letting her get away with acting up.

About five minutes later, she had finally calmed down, or at least had stopped crying. Lin walked back to her room and found her rubbing at her eyes on her bed. He sat down next to her.

"Madeline, what did I ask you to do?"

"Pick up my toys," she said.

"That's right," he said. "You don't leave a mess. Are you ready to go clean up now, then we can go to the park?"

"Uh-huh," she decided. Lin took her hand and they walked to the living room together, where he helped her pick up her toys. It only took a couple minutes. Lin then took her to the park where they played happily.

Kate got home later in the day. Lin thought she looked gorgeous pregnant. She wore the cutest little dresses, and she glowed. He told her constantly how beautiful she was and showered her with affection. They'd since met each other's parents and they all got along very well. Lin's parents were suggesting Latino names for the baby. Her parents suggested traditional English names. They were keeping a list, experimenting with combinations of first and middle names. 

One Saturday, Lin and his father were trying to assemble the crib they'd just bought for the baby. The instructions never quite seemed right. After starting over a third time, they decided to take a break and grab a beer. They went to the roof of the apartment building and relaxed for a few minutes.

"Dad, I'm getting really nervous," Lin admitted to Luis as they enjoyed the nice weather.

"You're going to be a wonderful father," Luis assured his son. "You're great with your nephews and you're great with Madeline."

"But I haven't been the one responsible for them," he said. "I'm afraid I'm going to screw it up."

"Every new parent thinks that," Luis said. "It's a bit nerve-wracking, but you learn as you go."

Lin nodded and took a sip from his beer. "I'm a bit nervous about the birth, quite honestly."

Luis chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, that's another story," he said. "You'll make it through. Just hold her hand and be encouraging."

"She's going to want to murder me."

"She'll be fine afterwards," he said. "Once you meet the baby, the pain is forgotten about."

"Were you nervous about becoming a dad?" Lin asked.

"Sure," he said. "Of course, your mother already had your sister when I came along. I got some practice with her before you came along. But yeah, I get what you mean about it being yours. You were my kid, and I thought for sure I would screw you up."

"I seemed to turn out okay," Lin said.

"Sometimes I wonder," he joked. "Remember, you've got tons of family and friends nearby. You can always ask for help."

The two men finished off their beers and headed back down to the apartment so they could give the crib assembly another try. Luz was having a chat with Kate over tea in the kitchen. They were laughing and smiling, so it seemed to be going well. Lin walked over and planted a kiss on the top of Kate's head.

"How's it going over here?"

"Fine," Kate said. "Have you guys given up on the crib?"

"We're about to give it another try," Lin said. "I will not let it get the best of me."

"Try Youtube," Kate suggested.

"Good idea," Lin said, pulling out his phone. He pulled up Youtube and put in the make and model of the crib. Just like that, an instructional video came up. Gold.

In less than half an hour, Lin and Luis had successfully constructed the crib. They gloated, proud of their accomplishment. It was a beautiful day, so the five of them took a walk down to Central Park to have a picnic. Madeline loved being the center of attention and talked excitedly to Lin's parents. Kate worried a bit about Maddie having to share the spotlight with a sibling. She'd been an only child for almost five years now and wasn't used to not have all of Kate and Lin's attention.

Later on, Luis and Luz headed home and Madeline was put to bed. Lin and Kate laid in bed, spooning, as Lin gently stroked her belly. One of his favorite things to do was to put his hand on her belly and feel for any kicking. It was one of the coolest things he'd ever felt. Kate's belly was growing fast and she was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about how she looked. Lin, however, loved her pregnant belly.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her, his lips right next to her ear. She squeezed his hand, where they rested, conjoined on her belly.

"I'll be glad when I'm back to a normal size," she told him honestly. Kate had three months left. The nursery was mostly ready, and her baby shower was about a month away. They'd decided not to find out the sex of the child. They would be surprised at the birth. There was a list of names for both boys and girls; a mix of Latino and English names. Lin desperately wanted to know what they were having, but Kate insisted they not know. 

"Are you sure we can't find out what it is?" He asked, kissing her neck.

"I want to be surprised," she told him, smiling.

"But you'll be surprised when the nurse tells you," he pointed out, making her laugh.

"What do you want it to be?" she asked.

"I don't mind," he said, kissing her neck some more. "As long as it's healthy."

"So why does it matter?"

"It's killing me," he admitted. "I need to know."

Kate turned in his arms and palmed his cheek, smiling. "Patience, Lin-Manuel," she told him. He grinned at her as their baby kicked beneath his hand.


	16. 16

Kate's due date had come and gone. If she didn't go into labor within the next couple days, the doctor would induce her. Kate was at the point where she was incredibly uncomfortable and ready to not be pregnant any longer. The baby seemed perfectly content where it was.

When the next two days passed with no baby, the doctor ordered her to the hospital where she was induced. The first couple hours, Kate waited comfortably. The pain wasn't bad yet. She was preparing herself for a long labor. Madeline had taken 19 hours.

Lin took the downtime to make a few phone calls and brought his laptop so he could work. Madeline was with Lin's parents, and would stay overnight. She had quickly become attached to them, and they of course showered her with attention.

A strong contraction came and Kate took in a sharp breath. Lin walked over from where he was talking on the phone and took her hand. She seemed to be doing well so far. When she had a strong contraction, she held his hand and squeezed.

The nurse came and checked her progress. She was only three centimeters. Kate passed the time reading and watching TV. Labor could be very boring.

The night came and went with little progress. Lin and Kate both dozed on and off, woken occasionally by Kate's pain or a nurse coming in to check on her. Finally, around mid-day the next morning she was dilated to 10 centimeters. She had requested an epidural because she had a low tolerance to pain.

Finally, it became time to push. Lin was a bit nervous about this part. He definitely didn't want to see what was going on down there. The doctor sat at her feet, instructing Kate when to push and when to stop. After four or five good pushes, the baby was finally out. Kate smiled in relief as she heard their baby crying. Lin leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Kate's sweaty forehead.

"It's a boy!" The doctor announced, holding the screaming baby up for his parents to see. He stood and carefully handed the baby off to Kate, who looked at her son, absolutely in love. The kid was still wailing up a storm as he was wrapped up a little tighter in his blanket. Lin looked down at his new son, unable to contain his excitement. He teared up a bit with the emotion of it all.

The doctor called Lin over to cut the cord. His umbilical cord was tied up short at his tummy and then he was taken away by the nurses for a quick bath. He continued to cry as he was washed, then quieted when he was swaddled up in his blanket. They placed a little hat on his head to keep him warm, then gave him back to his mother.

"Hi baby," she told him, beaming down at her newborn. He'd stopped crying and had his eyes open. They were brown like Lin's, and he had a good head of dark hair. Lin leaned down and kissed his son's head, waiting patiently for his turn. After Kate had had a good snuggle, she passed him off to Lin. Lin gazed at his son, rocking him back and forth gently.

"Hi, little man," he told him. The little family just cuddled and talked as the nurses cleaned Kate up and made sure she was comfortable. She felt a million times better now that the baby was out.

Lin sat on the edge of Kate's hospital bed as they both just gazed at their son..

"So," he said. "What should we name him?"

Kate thought about the boy names they discussed. He had very dark features like his father, so it made sense to give him a Latino name.

"How about Rio?" She suggested, looking up at Lin.

He smiled. "Sounds good," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "Rio Luis?"

Kate nodded. "Rio Luis Miranda. He's gonna be a stunner."

Lin chuckled and pressed a gentle kiss to his son's head. He'd fallen asleep and was just resting comfortably in his mother's arms. Lin stepped outside to make calls to his family and friends. Luis and Luz would come in a couple hours along with Madeline. Then, there would be a parade of extended family and friends coming all day.

Rio didn't seem to mind being passed around. He seemed pretty chill. When Lin's parents arrived with Madeline, they set her up on a big, cooshy chair, and put some props to the side to help support her arms. Lin gently placed his son in Maddie's lap.

"He's so little!" She observed, staring down at her new brother.

"Yes, he is," Lin agreed, kneeling down next to her. "But he can cry very loudly."

"Uh oh" she said, giggling. "He's sleeping."

"Yep, he'll be sleeping a lot. His body needs time to grow and that takes a lot of energy," he explained to the little girl. Maddie was happy holding her brother, asking Lin questions. Lin glanced over at Kate, who was talking to his parents. Once again, she was glowing. A new mother. Lin felt a wave of love rush over him. He couldn't imagine being without Kate or Maddie at this point. He loved them with all his heart. Lin knew what he needed to do.

Lin went home for a while the next day to get more fresh clothes and to get in a good nap. While he was out, he found a plain white onesie and took it to a shop to be personalized. He came back later with it tucked into his jacket. When Kate was distracted, he quietly conferred with one of the nurses. She would take the baby in a few minutes and change him into the special onesie.

The nurse gently took Rio from Kate a few minutes later, and disappeared into the side room. She carefully dressed the newborn, smiling at the sweetness of it. As she brought the baby back to his mother, she smiled at Lin and hung around. She wanted to see this.

As Rio settled into his mother's arms, the blanket opened slightly at the top. Kate could see a bit of color, which hadn't been there before. Curiously, she moved the blanket aside as Lin stood next to her bed. She gasped when she read the words on the onesie. 

Will you marry my daddy?

There was a beautiful engagement ring tied to the fabric. Kate put a hand to her mouth and looked up at Lin.

"Lin?" She asked, tears in her eyes.

Lin smiled and got down on one knee, carefully untying to ring from its knot. Once he got it free, he looked at Kate and popped the question. Kate nodded enthusiastically through her tears as Lin placed the ring on her finger.

The nurses started clapping as Lin stood up and kissed his fiance. They'd done things a little backwards, but he wouldn't have it any other way.


	17. 17

The next day, Kate was released from the hospital. Lin was overly protective and cautious, walking the carrier out to the car very slowly. As he drove, he stayed under the speed limit and kept looking back in the rearview mirror, as if his son might disappear.

They arrived home and found that Lin's parents and Madeline had decorated the apartment. There were congratulatory signs, balloons, and treats. Madeline was ridiculously excited that they liked the decorations. She bounced around the apartment, full of energy.

Rio continued to be a chill little baby. He only cried when something was wrong, and was perfectly happy being held by anybody. He seemed happiest when he was in someone's arms or laying on someone's chest.

Madeline was turning into a little mother. She wanted to help out with Rio as much as possible. Since she was only four, she couldn't be trusted with a lot, but she liked helping clean him in the tub and get him dressed. Sometimes he took a bottle, so Maddie delighted in feeding her younger brother. Having a brother brought up all sorts of conversations about the difference between a boy and a girl and how he was fed. She was very curious, and Lin and Kate decided to be as honest with her as they could.

That night, Lin ran his fiance a bath to help her relax more. She was still a bit sore, so the hot water helped soothe her muscles. Afterwards, she climbed into her jammies and laid down on the couch with Lin. He knew she wasn't ready to be intimate, but he was a very handsy guy. He let his hands wander over her body and felt her flinch a little when he touched her belly.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"My stomach is disgusting right now," she said. "I'd rather you not touch it."

Lin pressed a kiss behind her ear. "Okay. I won't touch it if you don't want me to. But you're beautiful."

"You keep saying that, but I don't feel that way," she said. "It's all squishy."

"That'll fade away," he reminded her. "Give yourself a break, you just had a baby."

"Exactly," she said. "I'm not feeling as attractive as usual."

Lin pressed several kisses to her head, neck and shoulder. "You're gorgeous," he reminded her again. Kate sighed and settled in a little more. She was pretty lucky. She had an amazing fiance who constantly showered her with affection.

"So..." he went on, changing the subject. "Big wedding or small wedding?"

"Small," she said immediately. "I'm talking less than 100."

Lin whistled. He had a lot of friends and a large extended family. He knew Kate wasn't a fan of huge numbers of people.

"Indoors? Outdoors?"

"I'd prefer outdoors but that can be a little unpredictable," she pointed out.

"Yes," he agreed. "Maybe we can start looking at venues online tomorrow."

 

"Okay," she said, closing her eyes and just enjoying laying with Lin. It was nice to not have anything to do, with both Maddie and Rio down for the night.

Lin was being a trooper helping out with the kids. He knew Kate was still exhausted. She pumped milk so Lin was able to get up with the baby at night so Kate could get a little more rest. He took the lead quite often with Madeline and was cooking up a storm. Kate felt so lucky to have him. His parents were over fairly often as well and had even taken Madeline for a couple afternoons. They loved their snuggle time with Rio. His favorite thing seemed to be lying on chests, sleeping.

Sometimes Madeline could want to help too much. She wanted to pick him up and carry him like she saw her mother and Lin do, but she wasn't old enough yet. A couple times she had tried, but had luckily been stopped before she could do any harm.

One morning, Kate nursed Rio in bed as Lin took a shower. Madeline wandered in, as she sometimes did in the morning. She'd always cuddled with her mother in the mornings before they both eventually got up. Some mornings, she was fine snuggling with Rio there, but some days she seemed a bit jealous, like this morning. She liked having her mother's full attention. Instead, she practiced somersaults on the floor.

Lin walked out, freshly showered, and scooped her up off the floor.

"What do you think you're doing, munchkin?" he teased her, tickling her sides. She laughed and squirmed in his arms. Lin carried her out to the kitchen to get her some breakfast.

"Why doesn't Rio eat cereal like me?"

"Have you seen his mouth?" Lin asked as he got out a bowl for her. "He has no teeth. It's kind of hard to chew without any teeth."

"When will he get teeth?"

"When he's about 6 months old," he said. "Do you want Cheerios or Rice Krispies."

"Rice Krispies please," she said politely.

"Good manners," he praised her. Kate wandered out with Rio propped up on her shoulder as she patted his back. He let out an impressive burp.

"Bad manners, Rio!" Madeline accused.

"He's allowed to burp," Kate told her daughter. "In fact, babies need to burp."

"Why can't I burp?" she countered as she got a spoonful of cereal.

"It's rude when you get older," Kate explained as she got two coffee mugs out of the cabinet.

"That's not fair," Maddie said.

Maddie took her time eating her cereal, like she usually did, and Lin and Kate both tried to hurry her along. They told her to go get dressed for preschool. It was Wednesday, so her father would pick her up from school to stay for the night. Since Rio had been born, she'd been a little reluctant to go with him.

Kate stayed home with Rio and Lin took Maddie to preschool. He knelt down and gave her a goodbye kiss, telling her he'd see her tomorrow. Lin walked back to the apartment, realizing he was going to miss the kid. It was strange when she was not in the house. She was such a tornado that her lack of presence was like a big hole.

That Wednesday afternoon Jason happened to be caught up in other endeavors so he arranged for his mother to pick Maddie up from school. Madeline didn't know her paternal grandmother very well, so she was a bit uneasy about the whole situation.

Jason was stuck at work for most of the afternoon into the evening. He'd told his mother that she went to bed around 8:00, so she tucked her granddaughter in. By the time Jason got home, he was exhausted and ready for bed. He collapsed onto his sheets and fell to sleep quickly.

In the morning, when Jason woke his daughter up, she was clammy and very tired. He realized that he hadn't warned his mother that she could get low blood sugar. Jason rushed out to the kitchen and grabbed her diabetic kit. He tested her quickly and saw that she was dangerously low. Jason picked her up and carried her to the kitchen, setting her on the counter.

He poured her a glass of orange juice and called her doctor right away. Jason was told to bring her in immediately.

Maddie took her juice to the car with her, sipping on the way. Jason tried to keep her talking, but she was obviously not feeling good. As soon as he got her to the doctor, she was seen immediately and given an insulin shot to get her levels up faster.

Jason felt horrible, seeing his daughter looking so out of it. He stepped out of the room while the nurse was attending to her and made the dreaded phone call to his ex-wife. She screamed at him over the phone, chastising him for letting this happen. Kate was all alone with Rio, so she packed him up and hailed a cab to the doctor.

Kate practically ignored Jason the whole time, not even wanting to look at him. How could he forget to tell his mother such vital information about her health? And if he was busy, why didn't he just send her back to Kate?

When Maddie was finally stable, Kate picked her up and carried her out to the reception area. She would not be going to preschool that day. After she'd signed the necessary paperwork, Jason opened the door and carried Rio out in his carrier.

"Listen, Kate-"

"Don't even bother," she told him, her voice bitter. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer."

Kate hailed a cab and quickly got the children inside, then took off for home. She continued to hold Maddie and didn't want to let go.

Maddie's clothes were soaked from sweating, so as soon as they arrived home, she stripped her daughter's clothes off and ran a bath. She texted Lin, livid at the situation, and he promised to come home soon. He arrived as Maddie was getting out of the bath. Rio started crying out of hunger, so he got a bottle ready and sat on the couch to feed him.

Maddie was feeling better, but was still quiet and subdued. She sat next to Lin on the couch and cuddled up into his side.

"How are you feeling, baby girl?" he asked her, putting his arm around her.

"Better," she said, playing with her lip.

"I bet a bath felt nice," he commented as he pulled up a Doc McStuffins show for her on the DVR.

Kate tested her blood sugar again just to be sure she was still okay. The rest of the morning she spent on the couch watching TV with a blanket.

After Kate had put Rio down for a nap, Lin met her in the kitchen. She was stress cleaning. Lin tugged on her upper arm and pulled her to him for a hug.

"Take it easy, Kate," he told her. She felt so tense in his arms. "She's fine, and she's back with us now."

"He just makes me so angry," she said into his shoulder. "How could he be so irresponsible?"

"I don't know, babe," he said, rubbing her back.

"I'm calling my lawyer here in a few," she decided, pulling back. "This is the second time this has happened. I don't feel like she's safe with him."

Lin couldn't argue with that. One time was a fluke, but twice was a real concern. He didn't want Madeline to not see her father, but if her personal safety was in jeopardy, he wouldn't hesitate. She wasn't biologically his, but to Lin, she felt like his daughter now.


	18. 18

Kate knew she shouldn't make any rash decisions when she was upset. So, she waited a couple days to see if her feelings subsided. They didn't. Jason had been careless with their daughter's health on two occasions in a very short period of time. It was unforgivable. How was she supposed to trust him to have her for an entire weekend? Kate hated to have to go this route, but her motherly instincts forced her to. She would not put her daughter's welfare at risk.

With some encouragement from Lin, Kate contacted her lawyer the next day to file a petition to have only supervised visits for Jason. She explained the situation and the lawyer said that she definitely had a case. Paperwork was filed and they had to wait for a court date.

When Jason received his notice, he called Kate up, angry. They got into a verbal spat, ending with Kate in tears on her bed. Lin came in and sat next to her, rubbing her side in support.

"You're doing what you have to do," he assured her. "Of course he's going to be upset."

"But am I doing the right thing? Am I overreacting?"

 

"No," he told her firmly. "She could have ended up in the hospital. He was so careless."

Kate nodded, feeling a bit better. "I'm worried about Maddie. She's starting to get attached to him."

"She's a kid. She's resilient."

The next day was Wednesday. Jason's day to have Maddie. The current custody agreement still stood, so Kate had no choice but to let her daughter go with her ex. She gave Jason a firm reminder to check her blood sugar every few hours and watch for signs her blood sugar was low. Kate hugged her daughter tight before she left. 

After sending her off, Kate collapsed on the couch and cried. Maybe her body knew that was the last time she'd see her daughter in quite a while.

On Sunday evening, Kate checked her watch again. It was past 6:00. Jason usually had her home between 4 and 5. She called his phone and it went straight to voice mail. Kate was starting to get frantic.

"What if they've been in an accident?" she asked Lin, who was trying in vain to calm her.

"Kate, calm down," he told her firmly but gently. "You're thinking worst case scenario."

"Why wouldn't he answer his phone?!" she demanded, pacing the room.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe they're in a movie."

When 8:00 came around, Kate hopped in her car and headed down to Jason's apartment. She drove up and saw there were no lights on. Lin followed her out of the car as she marched up to the front door and started pounding on it.

"Jason!!" she yelled. "Open up!"

She pounded and yelled some more. Next door, a large-sounding dog was barking. More lights came on, telling Kate to shut up. She yelled back and continued to pound. Someone must have called the cops because they showed up a few minutes later as Kate was climbing around the side of the building to see into a window.

"Ma'am?" The police officer held a flashlight up and Kate shielded her face. "What's going on here."

She climbed out and stood by Lin. "Officer, my ex-husband was supposed to bring my daughter back to me by 5:00. This is his apartment and he's not here, and he's not answering his phone."

He pulled out a pad of paper. "How old is the child?"

"She's four," Kate said, clutching her arms to her chest, tense with worry. "Her name is Madeline."

"When was the last time you saw the child?"

"Friday around four," she said, looking at Lin for confirmation. He nodded.

"So her father has custody every weekend?"

"Every other weekend," Kate said. "And every Wednesday."

"Has the father ever been late dropping her off before?"

"No, sir," Kate said. Lin put an arm around her and observed that she was shivering.

"Alright, would you like to file a missing person's report?"

Kate felt a punch in her gut. Missing person. Her daughter was missing. She had no idea where Madeline was. Kate realized she was in the middle of her worst nightmare. Lin drove her to the police station where they could provide more information and fill out an official report. He forced her to go home because hanging around at the police station wouldn't do any good.

Throughout the night, Kate continued to call Jason's phone. He must have blocked her number or have his phone off because it went straight to voicemail. As the hours went on, Kate got more and more frantic. Lin was sick with worry as well. Maddie wasn't his biologically, but he felt an intense pain not knowing where she was.

Needless to say, Kate didn't sleep at all that night. She paced. Lin drifted in and out of sleep, trying his best to be supportive. He took the lead with Rio, feeding him and changing his diaper.

An Amber Alert was made, and a description of Jason and his car were broadcast on television stations, along with his picture and one of Madeline. The next day passed with no leads and no sign of Madeline. Kate quickly became a shell of her real self. She was barely functioning and barely eating. Lin had to urge her to take a shower, eat, sleep.

Lin and Kate's apartment became an endless parade of family and friends stopping by to offer their support. They brought casseroles and offered to watch Rio. Kate wouldn't let her son out of her sight; terrified that he might disappear. Having people around helped; it took her out of her brain for a while, but when the evening set in, she was left to her own devices. Her mind made her a prisoner of the same horrible thoughts.

Lin and Kate laid in bed, him up flush against her back as she cried. Lin didn't know what else to do other than just hold her.

"Where could he have taken her?" she sobbed.

"The police are trying to figure that out," he reminded her gently. "They've got a whole team on it."

"Then why haven't they found her?" Kate demanded.

"I don't know," he said. "But Jason wouldn't hurt Maddie. He loves her."

"But he doesn't know how to take care of her. He can barely take care of herself."

 

"I'm sure she's safe," Lin said, kissing her shoulder.

"Do you think she misses me?"

"Of course," Lin said. "I'm sure she's not scared. She probably doesn't even realize she's not where she's supposed to be. Maddie doesn't really understand days yet."

Kate nodded. She didn't want her daughter to be afraid. At least she was with Jason and some stranger hadn't abducted her. Still, Kate thought she might die if she couldn't see her child soon.

___

The days passed and there were still no leads. Since they were in New York, the authorities feared Jason may have taken her to Canada. The border authorities were looking out for his car and their descriptions. However, it was likely he'd traded his car when his vehicle was all over the TV. They may have changed their appearance.

Kate was losing weight. She was barely eating and her eyes looked sunken, with bags underneath. Lin finally made her see the doctor and they gave her a sedative so she could rest. She was out for hours; the most sleep she'd had in days.

As Kate slept in the master bedroom, Lin wandered into Madeline's bedroom. Her bed was made, her favorite doll resting on her pillow. The room was a little messy as usual. A few clothes on the floor. Some Barbies haphazardly left next to the Dream House, perhaps when she'd been called to dinner. Lin imagined her laying in bed, sleeping soundly. Safe. He couldn't stop the tears from coming to his eyes. How could Jason do this to his own daughter? To Kate? To keep his own child from her own mother? It sickened him.

That night, the both fell into a restless sleep, their hearts broken and half-empty.


	19. 19

Weeks passed. Months. Each day that passed was a torture they couldn't stop or even lessen. Kate had become a shell of her former self, sick with worry about her little daughter.

Madeline's birthday came around. Today she was five. Somewhere, she was five. Kate wondered if Jason realized the significance of the date. It would be the first time he was with her for her birthday, and the first time Kate wouldn't be with her. Throughout the day, Kate seemed to get lost in her thoughts, staring off into oblivion. Lin tried to keep her distracted, though there really wasn't a way to make a mother not think about her lost child on her birthday.

"Hey," Lin said softly as he sat next to Kate on the couch. He gently ran his hand up and down her back, watching her closely. It seemed much of their interactions these days were just trying to keep her together emotionally. She leaned on him heavily, and she realized that. To some, it may have been too much, but Lin was committed to Kate. He was thankful they had Rio, who brought a lot of joy into their lives. Without Rio, Kate would be way worse, if that was possible.

"Hey," she responded blankly. Kate was a mess and she knew it. She didn't bother washing her hair often or putting on makeup. What was the point? What was the point of even getting out of bed?

"Your parents are coming over around noon," he reminded her. "I can go to the store and pick up some munchies. Want me to get you anything?"

"No," she said simply, flatly. Lin squeezed her shoulder and kissed her cheek. He didn't know what to say to Kate. There was nothing he could say to make it better.

When her parents came over, Kate spent almost the whole time in her bedroom, curled up. Her mother joined her, just holding her daughter. Lin tried to keep up conversation with her dad out on the couch. Like any other time they had people over, which was rare, they didn't stay for long.

The next day, Kate called in sick to work. That had been happening a lot lately. It broke Lin's heart to see her spiral downhill. She was at the point she was starting to give up, and Lin wasn't going to let that happen. He'd been caring and understanding, but it seemed like she needed a push. She couldn't go on like this.

Kate was curled up in their bed, greasy hair tied up in a messy bun. Lin stopped in the door after he'd had a silent breakfast, leaning against it.

"Kate," he began, tucking his hands in his pockets. She grunted slightly in response. "How many sick days do you have left?"

"None," she told him. In fact, she'd taken more than her allotted share, so the days she missed she wasn't getting paid for.

"Sweetheart, what are you gaining by staying in bed all day doing nothing? You can't keep doing this."

"I don't care," she said honestly.

"Well I do," he said. "I can't watch you go on like this."

She didn't respond. Kate had been feeling incredibly guilty on top of her sorrow. Lin was standing by her side, and what was he getting in return? His girlfriend was a depressed, underweight drag just slowing him down. He was full of life and she was sucking the life out of him. Kate knew she wasn't the woman he fell in love with.

Lin sighed and walked over to the bed. He pulled the covers off her and then moved her legs off the side of the bed.

"Come on," he urged her, gripping her forearms. "Get up."

"I don't want to," she protested groggily.

"You need to," he insisted, pulling her up to standing.

"Lin-" she tried to avoid him.

"No, you cannot continue to do this," he said, pulling her away from the bed, guiding her over to the wall where she couldn't escape and she had to listen to him. "You think Maddie would want you living like this? Like a zombie? You think Rio wants a mother who just wants to lay around instead of take him to the park?"

Kate pushed him, and he took a step back. "Don't you dare talk about my kids! You don't know what it's like to not be able to hug your child?"

Lin's eyes narrowed. "You think just because I'm not her biological dad that I don't feel grief?" He was raising his voice. "I feel like part of me is missing!"

"You didn't carry her in your body! Feel her kick you!" she protested, stepping forward with fire in her eyes.

"That doesn't mean I don't love her with all my being!" he shouted. "That doesn't mean I don't miss her like hell!"

In the next room, Rio began to cry. Kate pushed past him and went to her son's bedroom. He stood up in his crib, crying hard. She scooped him up and started crying as she started to bounce him up and down a bit. Lin sat down on the bed, putting his head in his hands. He felt like he couldn't say or do anything right. He knew she needed love and patience, but she also kind of needed a kick in the pants.

Kate continued to cry as she set Rio on the changing table and began to change his diaper. Rio was slowly getting himself calmed down as his mother struggled. Lin walked by and stopped in the door again, watching Kate. Her shoulders were tensed as she mindlessly changed Rio. From behind, she just looked defeated. Lost without a compass.

Sighing, he quietly walked up behind her and put his hands on her hips. He pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder. Lin felt guilty; he'd made her cry when she already spent so much time crying.

"I'm sorry, babe," he whispered, then wrapped his arms around her middle, hugging her gently. Kate put a hand over his, rubbing gently.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," she told him.

"Anyone would be a mess," he assured her. "But you can't give up. You need to keep going. For Maddie. And Rio."

Kate picked up their son, balancing him on her hip. Lin held out his hands to receive the baby.

"Why don't you go take a nice long shower," he suggested, and she handed Rio over. "You'll feel better when you're clean. And put on some real clothes instead of sweats."

She nodded and went back into their bedroom to find some clothes. Kate pulled out a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt and bra. She turned on the shower and the steam began to pour in. Kate took her time in the shower, letting the hot water work its magic. It did help, but the water could never completely erase the complete sorrow she felt. After almost half an hour, she turned off the water and toweled herself dry. She pulled her hair up into another towel and then got dressed.

Lin had a cup of tea waiting for her in the living room, along with some toast. She didn't feel much like eating but she took some bites of the toast, knowing Lin was worried about her. She'd lost fifteen pounds since Maddie had disappeared.

Lin got Rio taken care of. He fed him breakfast, got him dressed and then set him up with some blocks on the floor. Lin suggested they go for a walk outside. Kate knew she needed to do something to get herself out of this rut, so she agreed. After she'd dried her hair and gotten ready, they headed out with the stroller to walk around in the park.

Everywhere they went, Kate saw Maddie. What would she be doing if she was here with them? Swinging on the swing. Screaming in glee as she went down the sky. Chasing down Lin and tackling him to the ground. Loving.

Kate was semi-engaged with Rio. Lin gently prompted her at times, asking her to help with something or asking her a question. He could see she was trying. 

Kate felt like if she was happy, if she was enjoying herself, she was giving up on finding Maddie. If she was happy, that would mean she accepted this as her new reality, and she didn't want that. She adored Lin and loved Rio with all her heart, but her life didn't feel right with Maddie. Kate couldn't act like everything was perfect.

Kate realized her energy levels had been drained over the months. She got tired easily. After an hour at the park, she was yawning and feeling like she needed to lay down on the couch. Lin sensed she needed a break, so they walked back home. Little Rio fell asleep in his stroller on the way home. Lin took him to his crib for a nap while Kate laid down on the couch.

In a few weeks, Maddie was supposed to be starting kindergarten. At some elementary school, Jason would be taking her to her classroom on her first day of school, not her. Was Maddie nervous? Excited? Did she realize something was wrong? Did Maddie miss her? What was Jason telling her?

Lin walked out and laid down with her. Her half-heart smiled.

 

Mid-September. Maddie had been gone for almost a year. They'd been through a Halloween, a Thanksgiving, a Christmas, a birthday without her. Automatically, she thought about what she'd been doing on that date last year. They'd taken a trip to the apple tree farm around this time last year. Maddie lugged around a basket way too heavy for her, refusing help. She was very proud of the apples she'd picked.

The phone rang, snapping Kate out of her daydream. The caller ID said NYPD. Her heart started pounding, not wanting if she wanted to pick up or not. Was it good or bad? After three rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Is this Kate?" the officer on the other end asked.

"Yes," she replied, feeling the blood pounding in her ears.

"Ma'am, we think we may have found your daughter," she reported.

Kate's heart leapt. "Lin!!" she screamed. "Where is she?" she asked the officer.

"The police in Philadelphia have her at a station in the city. We're sending over pictures now. They're telling the officers her name is Madison."

Lin was by her side. She gripped his shirt. "They think they found Maddie," she whispered. Lin leaned in, trying to hear the conversation on the phone. Kate had the wherewithal to put it on speaker phone.

"How is she? Is she okay?"

"They didn't say she looked to be in any distress," the officer said. "Her name popped up when her father enrolled her in school."

"Can we go pick her up?" Lin asked.

"We'd like an officer to take you there," he explained. "We'd need confirmation she's with the right person."

"And where's her father?" Lin asked.

"He's been detained by the police," the officer said. "He's been held under kidnapping charges."

Kate felt a wave of relief and hope wash over her. Suddenly she was awake, and the other half of her heart started beating again. "We'll be there in ten minutes."

"I'll call my mom," Lin said, pulling out his cell phone. He knew she was free today and would love to watch Rio. Within a few minutes, they had Rio in his car seat and were speeding over to Lin's parents. Kate was grateful Lin was driving because her hands were shaking. She could not calm down.

Lin noticed, reaching his hand over to clasp her hand. He didn't say anything. His own heart was pounding, hoping this wasn't a dream; this was actually happening.

If Kate or Lin had been driving, they probably would have made it to Philadelphia in half the time, but they were being driven. Kate's heel kept bouncing up and down in nervousness. How sure were they that this was Madeline? How heartbreaking would it be if it didn't turn out to be her?

Finally, they arrived at the police station and Kate and Lin were escorted down the hall to a holding room. One of the Philadelphia officers opened the door, and Kate let out a loud sob and fell to her knees. It was her. Her Maddie.

Lin helped her up and Madeline ran to her mother.

"Mommy!!" she exclaimed excitedly, wrapping her arms around her neck. Kate sobbed uncontrollably as she held her daughter tightly to her. She hadn't seen her in almost a year, like a limb was missing.

"Oh, baby," she managed to croak out. "I've missed you so much."

Lin stood back so Kate could have her time with her daughter. A minute or so later, Maddie noticed him and smiled. He knelt down and opened his arms, and she gave him a big hug.

"Lin!!" she exclaimed. Lin held her close, smelling in her hair. It still smelled the same. Like Maddie. He didn't try to hold it together either. Lin was crying, relieved that they finally had her back.

The room was actually a comfortable one - not one with hard seats and a cold floor. There was a couch, where the three of them sat. Kate pulled her daughter into her lap and couldn't stop touching her, hugging her. She wasn't sure where to start.

"So what have you been up to?" she asked her daughter. She didn't want to bash her father, even though she was incredibly angry with him. He'd committed a crime, after all.

"I've been with Daddy," she said, playing with Kate's necklace. "And he called me Madison."

"I heard that," Kate said gently. "Do you want to be Maddie again?"

She nodded. "Mommy, do I get to go home now?"

"Yes," Kate said, kissing her hair. "We're gonna go back to New York, and you'll get to see Grandma and Rio. Wait til you see Rio! He's grown so much."

"Can he walk now?"

"He can," she said. "He's been getting into everything."

 

Kate was pretty sure Rio would have no idea who his sister was, but he'd have no memory of her being gone. He was almost one year old now. 

Lin took Maddie into his lap as an officer asked to speak with Kate privately. They had some questions to ask regarding the kidnapping, and needed her contact information. All in all, they were at the station for a couple of hours. They asked Kate if she wanted to see her ex, and she declined. It would just make her angry. Right now, she wanted to focus on her daughter.

They got back in the car and Maddie sat in the middle. She talked their ears off for about an hour, then fell asleep leaning against Kate. Kate just watched her. She could watch her for hours. When they got home, it was after 10:00. Lin carefully picked the still sleeping Madeline up and carried her to her bed. It had been empty for almost a year, but finally its occupant was back. He gently pulled off her shoes, socks, and jeans, and pulled up the covers.

Both of them just stood in the doorway for a long while, watching her sleep. It was still sinking in that she was finally home. During the night, Kate got up multiple times to go check on Maddie, just to make sure she was still there. She didn't want to bombard her with questions about what had been happening the last 11 months, but she needed to know she was still okay.

Maddie woke up first in the morning and climbed into Kate and Lin's bed, snuggling in between them. The little family just stayed like that for a long while until Rio started crying. Lin went to go get him, quickly changed him, and brought him back to bed to cuddle with the family. Maddie was very happy to see him, and gave him lots of hugs and kisses. Rio loved his big sister instantly.

They tried to go about their day as normal as possible. Maddie had since outgrown most of the clothes in her wardrobe, so they went shopping at Target in the afternoon and bought plenty of new items. They went to the park to play and went out to eat to celebrate.

After Rio had been put to bed around 7:30, they all sat down on the couch to talk, Maddie tucked between the two of them.

"So, Maddie we want to talk with you a bit," Kate began. She and Lin had discussed how best to approach the subject. They didn't want to bash Jason in front of her. They just wanted her to know they were here to talk. "I imagine you feel a little confused right now. Daddy did something wrong when he took you away to Philadelphia."

"He kept sayin' he was gonna take me back to see you soon," Maddie said.

"Yes," Kate said. "But you were gone for almost a whole year. You're five now! He shouldn't have taken you away, but I know you still love him very much. Do you miss him?"

"A little," she said, playing with her lip.

"It's okay to miss him," Kate said. "But you're not going to see him for a while."

"Is he going to jail?"

"Yes," Kate told her. "He broke the law when he took you away."

"But I don't want him to be in jail," she said.

"I know," Kate said. "But when grown ups do something against the law, they have to go to jail."

"Will I get to go see him?"

Kate looked at Lin and he decided to jump in. "Probably not for a while," he told her honestly. They didn't want her exposed to a prison environment, at least not at this age. Jason would likely be locked up for years. However, they didn't want her to have to go years without seeing her father. It was something they'd have to think about.

"So, now that you're back," Kate went on. "We're going to enroll you in kindergarten. Did Daddy talk to you about going to school?"

"Yeah," she said. "He bought me a backpack and pencils and crayons."

"We'll have to go shopping for that," Kate agreed. They also needed to figure out where to send her to school. There were a lot of options in New York City.

"Can I get a Frozen backpack?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," Kate said, kissing her head. "For now, we're just glad you're home. And we just want to hug you a lot."

She giggled and snuggled into her mother's side more. The little family relaxed and watch some TV, just enjoying being together once again.


	20. 20

Kate and Lin watched Maddie closely for any sign of trauma. She seemed perfectly fine. Even though Jason had broken the law, it seems like he'd taken good care of her. Maddie said she hadn't had any bad episodes with her diabetes, so he must have figured it out. The next week was just spent being together.

The police in Philadelphia were in contact with Kate about Jason's case. She might have to go back to Philadelphia to testify against him in court. Kate had no qualms about pursuing a harsh sentence for him. He'd waltzed into Maddie's life after being absent for years, then had taken her away from everything and everyone she knew. They kept all this private from Maddie, of course.

They decided to enroll her at a local neighborhood school. It had a good reputation and a lot of the kids from the apartment building went there. On the first day of school, Kate was very nervous about leaving her. Both she and Lin went to drop her off. 

When they arrived at the classroom, Maddie was excited and raring to go. Kate gave her a hug and kiss with tears in her eyes. Lin put a hand on her shoulder in support. They went to the main office to make sure they had strict pick-up procedures on file. Jason was in jail, but his mother wasn't. No one but Lin or Kate was allowed to pick her up.

They went back home and Kate cried on the bed, terrified of losing her again. Lin just held her and tried to be reassuring. He tried to fill up the morning playing with Rio and spending time together. When 3:00 rolled around, they were the first parents at the door to pick her up. Maddie ran to her mother with a huge smile on her face. She loved kindergarten.

Lin and Kate, and also her teacher, began to notice that Madeline was very anxious. After talking with the school counselor, Jason was constantly worried about being found out, and some of that rubbed off on her. Plus, Kate was still being very anxious, afraid of somehow losing her again. The school counselor recommended they send Maddie to regular therapy. They enrolled her straight away.

It wasn't long before Maddie was invited to her first sleepover. Kate was worried about letting her go, but Lin urged her to let Maddie attend. Just because this event had happened didn't mean they should let fear control their lives. Kate relented, but spent the whole time anxious. She texted the girl's mother throughout the evening, checking on how Maddie was doing. She was doing just fine.

However, at around 10:00, Kate received a phone call from the girl's mother, saying Maddie had started to cry at bedtime. She was missing her mom and wasn't feeling good about sleeping at someone else's house. Since it was so late, Lin went to pick her up.

The door opened to a tearful little girl. Lin scooped her up in her arms and rubbed her back, then the girl's mother handed him her bag and pillow. He thanked her and Lin carried her home, her head resting on his shoulder. By the time they were back, she was asleep. Lin tucked her into bed and Kate came in to see her. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of watching her little daughter sleep.

The anxiety reared its head on field trips, outings out with anyone other than Kate and Lin, and sometimes at school. It broke Kate's heart that her daughter was experiencing all this nervousness. Many times, either she or Lin had to end up picking her up or staying with her. She was working with a therapist once a week to get her anxiety under control.

About a month later, Jason's trial was set to start. Kate had to testify. She really wanted Lin to come with her, but they knew they couldn't leave Maddie, and she didn't need to go back to Philadelphia. Before Kate left for the airport, Lin hugged her tightly and tried to reassure her.

"He's going to prison for sure," he told her, his hands on her upper arms as he looked her in the eyes.

"I just don't want to see him again," she admitted, not feeling very brave. Kate tried to remind herself she was doing this for Maddie. Jason had put her through quite an ordeal and he needed to answer for it.

"You won't have to see him ever again after this," he promised her. "I will handle any and all interactions between him and Maddie. Lin kissed her sweetly, wishing he could go with her. However, Maddie was their top priority right now.

Kate summoned all her courage and headed out the door to the airport. It was a quick flight. She wasn't even planning on staying overnight. The trial was set for 1 in the afternoon. As soon as she was done testifying, she was flying home.

Jason had posted bail, so he walked into the courtroom in a nice suit and coiffed hair. He didn't look overly confident, but he didn't look afraid either. There was really no way of getting around the charges.

The trial began, and some of the formalities were gone over. Kate was called to the stand within fifteen minutes.

"State your name for the court," an official said.

"Kate Matthews"

"Thank you. You may be seated."

Kate sat down and moved the mic so it was closer to her mouth. She cleared her throat nervously and waited for the questions.

"What is your relationship to Madeline Phillips?"

"I'm her mother," she smiled proudly.

"And what has the custody arrangement been between you and her father, the defendant?"

"We were married when Maddie was born, then he took off when she was around one year old. I raised her by myself until she was four. Jason then moved back to town and requested visitation. He was awarded every other weekend and every Wednesday."

"And that custody arrangement worked out well?"

"For the most part," Kate said. "My daughter has diabetes, and there were two occasions in which she had extremely low blood sugar. On the second occasion, she had to be seen by a doctor immediately."

"And can you describe the events that took place the day your daughter disappeared?"

Kate's stomach churned at the memories. "It was a Sunday, and Maddie was due back around 5:00, per our usual agreement. When she wasn't home by 6, I called Jason and got no answer. When I went to his apartment, it was dark and there was no sign of him. I repeatedly tried to contact him, but got no reply."

"And how long was Madeline gone?"

"Eleven months."

"And you received no contact from Jason or Madeline during that time?"

"No, sir."

"And how would you describe Madeline's mental health now she's back with you?"

"She experiences bouts of anxiety, mostly brought on when she's away from me or my boyfriend. She's expressed to me that she's afraid she'll be taken again."

"And is she receiving any treatment?"

"Yes. She goes to a child therapist once a week."

"Thank you, Kate."

There were more questions, but really it was all a formality. The situation spoke for itself. Jason had violated his custody agreement and kidnapped his child, keeping her away from her mother for almost an entire year. What he'd done was inexcusable. His child was suffering because of it.

Jason plead the 5th, not wanting to self-incriminate. Kate would like to ask him some questions. All in all, it was a pretty quick ordeal. Jason didn't have a record, so he was sentenced to two years in prison. Afterwards, he would have parole, which would determine whether he could gain any visitation rights back.

Jason was expecting to be sentenced to some prison time, so he seemed resigned to his sentence. Kate requested to have a brief meeting with him. She was taking to a holding room where Jason came in a few minutes later.

He sighed when he walked in, looking like he didn't want to have this conversation.

"Kate-" he began, but was cut off.

"You owe me an explanation," she said coldly.

"Kate, I'm sorry. It's just - when Maddie was with me, all she ever talked about was you and that Lin guy. I was like minced meat. I wanted her to love me. To need me."

"She needed her mother," Kate growled. "Did you know she's suffering from anxiety now? Any time I'm not with her or Lin's not with her, she's afraid she's going to get taken away. Are you proud of yourself? Was your little year away with her worth it?"

Jason closed his eyes, knowing there was no good answer. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake. And I'll spend the next two years paying for it."

"You're damn right you will," Kate told him. "And don't even think about contacting Maddie in the meantime."

"So you're going to stop my own daughter from seeing me?" he asked, perturbed. "How is that good for her?"

"I'm not going to bring her into a prison to visit you," Kate spat. "And don't forget you didn't see her on your own accord for three years."

Jason looked down and shook his head. He knew he wasn't perfect, and he hated when Kate pointed out his faults. Kate stood up to go, finished.

"I'll leave it up to Maddie if she wants to contact you when she gets older. In the meantime, leave her alone."

Kate walked out, feeling confident. She headed straight for the door and hailed a cab to go back to the airport. She didn't want to spend another minute in Philadelphia.

Kate got home after 10:00 so Maddie was already in bed. Lin waited up for her in the living room, watching TV. When she walked in the door, he went to her and pulled her into a hug. She looked relieved, but emotional.

"It's over," he reminded her. "You won't have to talk to him ever again."

She nodded into his shoulder, feeling his arms tight around her. Kate felt so safe.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go to bed."

Lin took her hand and guided her down the hallway. They stopped at Maddie's door so she could watch her sleeping for a minute. Lin tugged her along and they got ready for bed.


	21. 21

As Madeline grew up, she was aware that her father was in prison. He was released when she was seven; a second grader. She was aware of the stigma surrounding having a parent in prison. She didn't tell anybody. She just let them assume Lin was her real dad.

Jason had honored Kate's wishes that he not contact Madeline. He sent her a birthday card each year, but that was it. Madeline felt uneasy about the whole situation. Her father had kidnapped her and kept her from her mother from almost an entire year. She'd had anxiety and trust issues for years. Now that she was thirteen and in middle school, she was becoming acutely aware of his absence. Maddie was starting to wonder if she wanted contact with him again. She was sure her mother didn't want her to.

"Madeline, I'm not going to tell you again," Lin said from the kitchen. "Go clean your room."

"Okay!!" she said with attitude as she thumbed through her phone on the couch.

"Lose the attitude," he told her and she rolled her eyes. Lately, she had been butting heads with both Lin and her mother. He and Kate had long since married, so he was technically her stepfather. Maddie could barely remember a time when he wasn't in her life. It was starting to get to her, however; he wasn't her real dad. What right did he have to order her around?

Maddie reluctantly stood up and tucked her phone into her back pocket and stumbled off to her room. She had never been a neat person and didn't see the point in keeping her room clean. She knew where everything was so what was the big deal? It was her space.

She passed Rio in the hallway. He was nine now and was like a copy of his father. He loved theatre and singing and dancing, and was constantly socializing. Rio and Lin were pretty close, but Maddie wasn't terribly close to her brother.

Madeline closed her bedroom door and connected her phone to the bluetooth speakers. She turned the music up loud and began the laborious task of picking up her room. Her mother liked to remind her that if she just picked things up as she went, it wouldn't be such a big task on the weekend.

It was Saturday, so Maddie was looking forward to hanging out with her friends. Most of the time, they ended up hanging out at a coffee shop nearby, sipping sugary drinks and annoying the other patrons. She took a break from cleaning to text with a couple of her best friends about their plans for the evening. Maddie was called to dinner a few minutes later. She set her phone out on the table picked up her fork.

"Put the phone away, please," her mother reminded her. Maddie sighed and tucked it into her back pocket. The rule was no electronics at the table.

"So what's everyone's plans for the evening?" Lin asked.

"I'm going to a movie with Jake," Rio said as he dug into his dinner. The boy was like a garbage disposal. He ate anything and everything, and lots of it.

"Maddie?"

"Hanging out at the coffee shop," she said.

Lin nodded. "Mom and I are going to a little get together in Lower Manhattan. We'll be back late. Curfew for both of you is ten."

"How come Rio gets the same curfew as me?" Maddie complained. "I'm four years older than him."

Rio stuck his tongue out at his sister and she threw a piece of broccoli at him.

"Enough, children," Kate admonished her children. Sometimes she wondered if her children had a normal sibling rivalry. It could get intense at times. "Maddie, your curfew is perfectly fair."

"But he's only nine," she pointed out. "Why does he get to stay out so late?"

"He's with an adult," she reminded her daughter. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" Kate raised her voice. It was something she'd picked up a lot when she turned twelve. They'd been trying to break her of it, but it seemed to almost be a reflex.

Maddie sighed. "Can I be excused?"

"No," Lin said. "Eat more vegetables. You're not gonna pig out on junk food later."

Maddie grumbled and stabbed another piece of broccoli with her fork. She shoveled down some more veggies, then was allowed to go to her room to get ready. Maddie emerged a few minutes later, ready to leave.

She was glad to be out of the apartment and with her friends. It was a mix of guys and girls. It was a nice night, so they sat out on the chairs on the sidewalk, just being silly and obnoxious. Madeline was having a great time, when she noticed a form pass her on the sidewalk. She looked up and immediately recognized the man...her father.

Maddie's mouth opened wide and she just stared. He didn't look over at the group of kids. Maddie didn't think he'd recognize her anyway. It had been eight years since he'd seen her in person.

Madeline got quiet as her friends continued to joke around. Her father was back in the city? Was he hoping she would contact him? Maddie wasn't even sure her parents had his cell phone number. The rest of the evening Maddie was a bit withdrawn. When they all got up to leave and go somewhere else, Maddie said she was going to take a walk instead. They asked what was eating her, but it was too complicated to explain. They all thought Lin was her dad. She even had the last name Miranda now.

Maddie took off in the opposite direction of her friends. She wasn't sure where to go, but she needed to clear her head. She pulled her hoodie up, tucked her hands in her pockets, and began to wander the streets of New York City. She passed strangers on the street, laughing, having a good time. Seemingly carefree.

She kept her head down, but soon she heard a familiar voice. Lin. He and her mother were walking down the sidewalk in the other direction.

"Maddie?" he asked, stopping. Madeline looked up and saw her parents. "What are you doing wandering around alone at night?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to be alone," she said, staring at her feet. Lin narrowed his eyes a bit and could tell something was going on.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She just shrugged. "Can I just go?"

Lin touched her elbow and steered her in the direction they were going. "No, we're going home. You can't be out on your own like this."

"Lin, I'm fine," she protested, moving away.

"Madeline, come on," Kate prompted her. "Lin's right. It's dangerous to be out by yourself right now."

She sighed and reluctantly trailed behind her parents, letting it be known she didn't want to talk to them. Obviously something was wrong but she didn't feel like sharing it right now. As soon as they got home, Maddie went straight to her bedroom and closed the door. It was around 10:00 and she was exhausted, but she didn't think she could go to sleep. She had a lot on her mind.

Would her dad come looking for her? Would he try to take her again? Did he want to see her? Would he be mad that Lin had adopted her? At some point, she fell asleep, but she awoke with a startle in the middle of the night, screaming.

Her mother came to her door and pushed it open. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Kate turned on the bedside lamp and sat down, smoothing back her daughter's hair. "I just had a nightmare," she said, breathing a bit quickly. Her heart pounded. She'd dreamed that her father snatched her up from the sidewalk and took her back to Philadelphia.

"You seemed upset earlier," Kate said. "Is it anything to do with that?"

"No, Mom. I'm fine," she said, pushing her mother's hand away. As she'd gotten older, Madeline had started to become less affectionate. Sometimes she became agitated when her parents tried to hug her or touch her.

"Okay," Kate said gently. "Are you alright now?"

"I'm fine," she said shortly.

"Alright," Kate said, not believing her but knowing there was no point in probing any further. She stood up and turned off the bedside lamp again. As Kate climbed back into bed, Lin turned over, having being awoke by the scream as well.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"She had a nightmare," Kate said, settling in. "But I think it's more than that. She was fine yesterday afternoon, but something must have happened in the evening."

"Did she say anything about it?"

Kate shook her head. "She won't talk to me," she told her husband. That had been the case more and more lately, but they figured it was part of becoming a teenager. She'd want to confide in them less and less.

Lin just sighed and carressed Kate's face. "Don't worry about it," he tried to reassure her. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Probably just some friend drama."

Kate nodded and closed her eyes, but had trouble falling back asleep.

___

The next morning, Madeline wouldn't get out of bed for school. She'd tried to get back to sleep after her nightmare, but couldn't. She almost wanted to go climb into bed with her mother and Lin, but that was something little kids did. Plus, she'd pushed her mother away when she came to talk to her.

Lin pushed her bedroom door open for the third time that morning and sighed when he saw his daughter still curled up under the covers.

"Madeline, you're gonna be late," he told her as strode over to her bed. He stripped the covers off her and she groaned in protest. "Up."

"I wanna stay home today," she told him.

"Absolutely not," he told her. "You're not sick. Shake a leg."

Madeline reluctantly got up, feeling exhausted. She checked her watch. She didn't really have time to stop at Starbucks for an iced drink, but she decided she would anyway. She'd get another tardy, but she still had a couple more to go before it turned into a detention.

Madeline threw her hair up in a ponytail, not having time to wash it that morning. She barely acknowledged the rest of the family as she grabbed a breakfast bar from the pantry and left. There was a Starbucks around the corner, so she ordered a frappuccino. By the time she got to school, she was ten minutes late.

During third period, Maddie got called to the office. Had she been wrong about the number of tardies? When she walked in, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her father was standing at the front counter.

"Dad?" she asked, frozen. He smiled at her and looked like he was getting teary-eyed.

"Maddie," he said, his voice full of emotion. Madeline could tell he wanted to hug her, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that. The last time she'd seen him he was getting arrested.

"Why are you here?"

"I just got back in town," he told his daughter. "And I know your mom said she'd let you make the decision whether you wanted to contact me or not. But, I don't think you even know how to contact me."

He pulled out a paper from his back pocket. "Here's my phone number and my email address. I just wanted to make sure you had a way to contact me if you want to. I miss you."

Madeline didn't say anything, just took the paper from him.

"Uhhh....I've gotta go," she told him, and quickly turned and disappeared. On her way back to class, she kicked herself. Was that the right reaction? Wasn't she supposed to be overjoyed to see him? Shouldn't she have hugged him and cried tearfully into his shirt as he made promises to never leave her?

Maddie sank back into her chair and tried to push the incident out of her mind. She didn't have anyone she could talk to this about. Her mother would be livid if she knew he'd come to her school. None of her friends knew. Lin was a bit of a wild card, but he'd probably tell her mom.

When she got home, she went straight to her room and tucked the piece of paper away deep in her desk drawer. She felt trapped. She knew her father was hopeful that she'd contact her and start a relationship back up, but that would also cause her mother heartache. Why had her parents put her in this position?

Her mother was her only way to get to her father. She'd always been told that if she wanted to contact him, she could, but there was an undertone that it would be best not to. Life had been fine with her mom and Lin.

Maddie holed up in her room the rest of the day, not knowing what to do. She was morose and snappy for the next two days, unable to handle the responsibility of the decision she had to make. On a Thursday, she laid on the couch watching TV.

"Maddie, will you take out the trash please?" Lin asked her as he cooked dinner. The trash can was almost overflowing.

"In a minute," she told him.

"You can pause whatever you're watching," he reminded her. "Do it now, please."

Nothing.

"Madeline..."

"Oh my God!" she yelled, sitting up. "Would you leave me alone?!"

"Get up now," he told her firmly. "And when you get back you can go to your room. You don't talk to me like that."

Madeline stormed over and got the trash bag out of the bin and marched to the end of the hall. She found the chute and shoved it down. Maddie glared at Lin on her way back to her bedroom. Lin wasn't sure what had gotten into her the last few days, but she was most definitely on edge. He followed her to her room.

"Leave me alone!" she groaned, laying down on her bed.

"Something's bothering you," I told her, crossing his arms. "The last few days you've been nothing but rude and snappy. What is it?"

"Nothing!" she insisted, rubbing at her eyes.

"You know that's not true," he said, pulling out her desk chair. "This is more than just normal teenage angst. You know you can talk to me about anything."

He was surprised when Madeline started tearing up. She turned over on her side, facing away from him. Lin moved from the chair to her bed, putting his hand on her upper arm.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" he asked gently.

"I can't tell you," she said tearfully, hiding her eyes.

"Of course you can," he reminded her. "You can tell me anything."

"Will you promise not to tell Mom?" she asked him. Lin patted her hip.

"Turn around."

Lin looked her in the eye. "If it involves your health and safety, I have to tell your mom. Otherwise, it's our secret. Can you tell me?"

She sighed and examined her fingernail beds. "My dad came to my school the other day."

That was certainly not what Lin was expecting. He rubbed his goatee in thought. The man was not supposed to contact her at all unless Maddie contacted him first.

"And what did he say?" he prompted her.

"He wanted to give me his phone number and email," she told him quietly.

"How did you feel about that?"

She shrugged. "It was weird seeing him again. I saw him in the street on the weekend."

"Is that why you were wandering around all alone?" He raised his eyebrows and she nodded. "Well, he's not supposed to contact you, Mads. I'm sorry he put you in that position."

"He said he didn't think I had a way to contact him," she explained. "And I don't. Maybe Mom has his number, but there's no way I'm gonna ask her for it."

Lin realized Maddie had been put in a tough position. Obviously Kate didn't want her to contact her father. He should have been more on top of it, letting her know he knew how to contact him as well.

"And do you want to see him?" Lin asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I have a lot of feelings."

"I bet," he said, hating that she had to have a complicated family arrangement. "You've got some thinking to do. But you need to think about what you want, not what might upset your mother."

"I don't want to hurt her," Maddie said, tearing up again a bit.

"You let me worry about Mom," he told her. "She can handle it."

She sighed, not completely believing him.

"Do you want me to talk to her about it?" he asked.

"No," she said quickly.

"Let me know if you change your mind," he told her. Lin leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said. Lin left her alone and Maddie began to think about his feelings. Was he upset that she wanted to contact her dad? Did he expect her to want nothing to do with him now that he'd adopted her? Some of these worries she kept bottled up.


	22. 22

The next day, Maddie had swim practice after school. She welcomed the physical exertion, anxious to get out some of her nervous energy. Her father had been heavy on her mind. It had been four days since he'd come to school, and she hadn't called or emailed. Was he getting worried?

The coach blew the whistle for a break and everyone got out of the pool. There was a tournament this weekend, so they were fitting in an extra Friday practice. Maddie was pretty good, and was likely to make the state competition for middle school. Her specialty was the butterfly.

Maddie got super nervous before competitions, but as soon as she hit the water, she transformed it into power. Her muscles worked harder than they did in regular practice. That morning, she ate a light breakfast, knowing her stomach would be churning. As usual, Lin and Kate planned to come to watch.

When the time for the 200m butterfly came, Maddie walked over to her place and began stretching. Her hair was tucked up in her cap. She looked over in the stands. She'd already found Lin and her mom earlier, so she looked in their direction and saw them cheerly loudly. Her eyes happened to wander upwards and she saw her father sitting high up in the stands. Her mouth gaped open and she was thrown off.

She was snapped out of her momentary shock when the official blew the whistle for them to mount their blocks. Maddie climbed up and her heart was already racing, partially from nervousness and partially because her dad was randomly here. She guessed Lin and her mom didn't know he was there. Her mom would not be looking so happy if she knew.

They took their places, ready to dive in. The whistle blew again and they all dove into the water. From the moment she hit the water, Maddie knew she was off. Her movements weren't as crisp as usual. Things weren't clicking. It was hard to tell exactly where she was in the water, but she was pretty sure she could feel the drag of the other swimmers' wakes as they swam ahead of her.

When Maddie made her final turn back to the finish, she knew it hadn't been a good race. She touched the wall and turned around to see her time. It was two seconds more than it usually was. Dead last. Maddie dipped back into the water and just floated for about ten seconds, disappointed in herself. She was also frustrated with her dad. Why did he just show up randomly? Didn't he know it would throw her off?

Maddie used her hands to push herself out of the water. She crossed her arms over her body and made a beeline to her towel. Her teammates try to encourage her, telling her it was alright and to nail the next one. She still had the 100m race left.

She avoided looking up at the stands. She didn't want to see her father. She couldn't believe the audacity he had. Her mother could very possibly see him and then there'd be a huge scene.

Maddie did slightly better in the 100m, finishing fourth. It definitely hadn't been her best showing. Her coach wasn't happy with her.

"Madeline!" he called her over. She frowned, her eyebrows knitted, knowing he was going to give her a lecture. "What happened out there?"

"I was just off," she told him.

"You've been on all month," he said. "There's no reason you should be finishing less than third. Get your head in the game."

Madeline stormed off to the locker room, tears in her eyes. She was disappointed enough in herself. She didn't need the coach telling her she'd screwed up. Maddie got dressed in record time, not in the mood to talk with her teammates. She knew her mom and Lin would be waiting for her out in the lobby. Her mom gave her a sympathetic smile as she walked up.

"Not your day, huh?" she asked, giving her arm a quick squeeze.

"Nope," she said. "Can we go?"

"Sure," she said. "I just need to have a quick word with Riley's mom."

"Mom! Please!"

"It'll just take a second," she assured her. Her mother spotted Riley's mom across the room and waved at her, then walked over. They began chatting, leaving Maddie alone with Lin.

"Are you frustrated?" Lin asked his daughter.

"You could say that," she said. Lin knew there wasn't anything he could say to cheer her up. When she was disappointed in her performance, she was her harshest critic. Lin decided to just be silent, knowing she wasn't in the mood to talk.

From across the room, they heard a yell. Their eyes travelled in the direction of the noise and they saw Kate face to face with Jason.

"Oh, crap," Lin mumbled, rushing over to them.

"How dare you show up here!" she accused him. "You are not allowed to have contact with her!"

Lin put his hands on his wife's shoulders and pulled her back. "Come on," he told her, trying to lead her into the hallway where they could have a more private conversation.

"I haven't seen my daughter in eight years because of you!" Jason countered, his eyes flaring. The two adults continued to argue as Lin led Kate away, Jason following. Kate kept trying to move her body towards Jason, and Lin finally stepped between the two of them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Both of you stop!" he raised his voice. "This is not the time or place to have this discussion."

"He shouldn't be here at all!" Kate said, her face beyond angry.

"It's a free country!" he countered.

"Stop!" Lin yelled, snapping them out of their angry spell. They both looked at him and Lin stepped back. "This is not going to do Madeline any good. You both need to be civil. How do you think she feels seeing the two of you screaming and shouting in front of her?"

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, annoyed that her husband wasn't defending her. Jason put his hands on his hips and looked down.

"Now, Madeline needs to get home," Lin continued. "Jason, if you want to have contact with Maddie, you need to let her initiate it. You can't be showing up like this."

"I wanted to see my daughter," he said.

"I know," Lin said. "And Madeline's been thinking about it."

Kate looked at her husband, shocked. "She's been thinking about it? Since when?"

Lin looked at Jason, urging him to man up and tell Kate what he'd been up to.

"Since I went to her school on Monday," he admitted sheepishly.

Kate gaped and couldn't form any words for a few moments. "You went to her school?!" she was livid. "What were you thinking? Do you know how much stress you've put her under?"

"No, because I never see her," his voice amped up again.

"Alright, let's go," Lin told his wife, putting his hand on her upper back. She shrugged him off.

"You knew he came to Maddie's school and you didn't tell me about it?" she accused him.

"We'll talk at home," Lin told her, seeing Maddie peek her head around the corner. "Let's not make a scene."

Kate reluctantly agreed, and the family of three walked out the front doors. They took the subway home in silence, the tension thick. Madeline immediately stormed off to her room, upset with her father, and now with her mother. She knew this was exactly how she'd react and she hated it.

Once Lin had closed the door, Kate spun around and was immediately on the offensive.

"How could you not tell me?" she accused him.

"Kate, we didn't want to tell you because we knew you'd react like this," he told her.

"Of course I'm reacting like this! He violated our agreement! He was ordered not to contact her until Maddie was ready to do it herself."

"And how often do you bring that up? Hmm?" he pointed out. "Your daughter is terrified to bring up her father with you because she doesn't want to hurt you. Do you know how unfair that is?"

"Don't lecture me about my daughter?" she spat.

"Oh, so she's just your daughter now?" he asked. "Have you forgotten that I've been around since she was four?"

Madeline laid face down on her bed. Her parents were fighting because of her. She could hear their raised voices from the kitchen. They rarely fought, but when they did it got heated. She couldn't sit around and listen to this. Maddie went to her window and pushed it open, then climbed out the fire escape. Carefully, she made her way down and to the street.


	23. 23

Lin went for a walk, amped up from his fight with Kate. Her rage towards Jason seemed to be blinding her to the hurt she was causing Madeline. She had every right to have a relationship with her father if she wanted one. Madeline was terrified to contact him because of what Kate might think. That wasn't right.

Back at the apartment, Kate was cooling down. She realized she may have upset Madeline, so she went to her room to check on her. She knocked but didn't hear an answer, so she pushed the door open. Maddie wasn't inside. She checked the bathroom, then the other rooms, but she was nowhere to be found.

Kate pulled out her cell phone and called her daughter. It went straight to voicemail. Kate hated when her daughter ignore her. Though she wasn't sure she was ready to talk to him, she called Lin. He answered after a couple rings.

"What?" he asked, his tone curt.

"Maddie's gone," she told him.

"What?" he said again. "She's not in her room?"

"No. I checked everywhere and of course she's not answering her phone."

"Well, she's probably upset," Lin pointed out. "You basically attacked Jason."

"Will you try calling her?" Kate said, ignoring his accusation.

"Sure," he said, and they hung up. Lin called their daughter and it went straight to voicemail. He texted her instead, telling her to tell them where she was.

Madeline had been walking for a good half hour now. Both her mom and Lin had tried calling her, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to either of them. She needed some space. She knew they'd be upset with her for not responding, but if they hadn't been fighting she wouldn't have had to leave.

She made her way to Central Park, one of the few areas you could be in nature. Finally, she found a bench and sat down. She started to catch her breath and let her heartbeat slow. She'd been walking pretty briskly. Today just needed to end. Her meet had gone terribly and the adults in her life had all gone nuts.

Nature calmed her down. She sat back on the bench and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the breeze blowing the leaves, a few birds chirping. She felt the sunlight on her face. She reminded herself she was just one person out of 7 billion on this planet. Her problems weren't unique. Somewhere, there was another kid sick of her parents fighting.

She checked the time on her phone and realized she'd been gone for a good two hours. There were tons of texts and calls from her parents. She sighed audibly as she stood and decided to head back home. When she walked in the door, her mother pounced on her.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" she asked, crossing her arms. "We've been worried sick!"

"Leave me alone!" she said, feeling her anger build up again. She'd finally calmed herself down and now her mother was in her face again.

"No. You owe me an explanation," Kate told her daughter.

"Kate-" Lin tried to intervene from the living room.

"I left because I didn't want to listen to you guys yelling!" she said, her voice raised. "Did it ever occur to you that I might be upset? You almost attacked Dad!"

"He had no right to come to the meet," she said. "And I cannot believe you didn't tell me he came to your school."

"Because I knew you'd react like this!" Maddie spat. Kate had been moving closer to her daughter. Lin had been crossing the room. He put his hand on her upper arm to hold her back.

"Kate, stop," he told her a bit more firmly. "Maddie, go to your room."

She gladly left, not wanting to argue anymore with her mother. As she left, she could hear her mother yelling at Lin. His voice was annoyed and firm. Maddie slammed her door and laid back down on her bed. She plugged in her earbuds to drown out the noise.

She must have fallen asleep because she woke up when Lin sat on her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she pressed pause on her iPod, then took out her earbuds.

"Hey," Lin greeted her gently.

"Hi," she said, sitting up.

"Sorry you had to listen to your mom and me fight," he apologized. "I know that's not pleasant."

"I couldn't listen to it anymore," she told him, crossing her arms.

"I know," he said. "But next time, will you answer your phone? We need to know where you are."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Now, did your father showing up at the meet throw you off?" he asked.

"Totally," she said. "I was completely off. I can't believe he'd just show up like that."

"No, that wasn't fair," Lin agreed. "He can't just show up unannounced, especially since you haven't contacted him yet."

"I feel like I have to contact him now," she said, examining her nail beds.

"Well, you can e-mail him to let him know you don't want him showing up."

She sighed. "I might have to. I'm not sure I'm ready to see him yet."

"And that's totally fine," Lin told her. "He needs to go at your pace. He doesn't get to decide."

"Can I go hang out with my friends? I don't wanna be here," she said.

Lin sighed. "Sure," he said, knowing she probably needed some fun after a hard day.

"Is Mom still on the prowl?" she asked, swinging her legs over the bed as he stood up.

"I'll take care of Mom," he told her. "You go have some fun."

Madeline took her phone with her and met a friend down at a nearby park. They spent most of the afternoon pulling up silly videos on their phones and Snapchatting. It was just what Madeline needed. She liked that her friends had no idea what her home issues were. She just wanted to be normal like everyone else. She was pretty sure no one had a father who'd been incarcerated and that they hadn't seen in eight years.

Back at the house, Kate was watching TV alone in her room. Lin had pissed her off. It was like she was undermining her. She had every right to be angry about Jason, and he acted like she was being unreasonable.

Lin walked in, wanting to make peace. He laid down next to her on his side, propping his head up in his hand.

"Can we talk?" he asked gently.

Kate sighed and turned off the TV, waiting for him to start.

"Madeline needs to be our main focus," he told her. "She's really upset right now. Her dad showed up out of nowhere, and she didn't want to tell you because she knew you'd be upset. Then he showed up at her swim meet unannounced and made her nervous. Then we were fighting."

Kate knew Lin was right about that, but she was still pissed at Jason.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just, when I saw Jason I saw red. I can't believe he had the nerve just to show up."

"I know," he said. "That wasn't okay. He needs to wait for Maddie to make the first move. But we need to be on the same team here. You need to make sure you're not putting Maddie in a tough spot. You need to push your feelings about Jason aside."

"I can't," she told him. "He took her from me. It's unforgivable."

"But Maddie deserves a relationship with her father if she wants one, and she doesn't need push back from you."

"Easy for you to say," she told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lin asked, annoyed. "She's my daughter too."

"Forget it," she said, standing up and going to the restroom.

"You think I want him barging into our lives?" Lin asked, following her. "I'm pretty uncomfortable with this too, Kate."

"Really? You seem to be making this easier for him," she quipped as she started brushing her hair harshly.

"I'm trying to make it easier for Maddie," Lin countered. "We need to support her."

"Fine," she said shortly. "You made your point."

Lin could tell she was still annoyed, but he decided to drop it. He shook his head and walked out of the room, out to the living room. Lin pulled up his laptop and opened his email. He still had Jason's email from years before. He began to compose an email.

Jason,

Lin here. Just wanted to touch base regarding Maddie. She's really confused right now. You showing up out of the blue has really thrown her off. I don't think it's a good idea to just pop up again until she's ready to contact you. She needs to be the one taking the lead.

As for Kate, I'm trying to talk with her about making sure Maddie's the priority. No matter what she thinks, Madeline is the one we all need to be concerned with most. It's her choice whether she wants a relationship with you or not, and our feelings can't get in the way.

Sincerely,

Lin

Lin pressed send, then closed his laptop. He let his head rest against the back of the couch and sighed. Lin kept his distance from Kate from most of the day, knowing she needed some space. If he tried to broach the subject again, they'd probably start another argument.

He took Rio out to play some basketball in the afternoon, and the physical exertion did him good. He always loved spending time with his son. Rio was getting to the age where he'd probably want to start hanging out with friends more than him. He was trying to cherish all the time with him he could before that became a reality.

Madeline came home just before dinner time. She moved about gingerly, trying to feel out her mother's mood. She didn't seem angry anymore, but she definitely didn't look happy. Lin had promised to help cool her down, and she knew he kept his promises.

The family of four gathered around the table for dinner, which started out somewhat quiet and tense. Kate and Madeline didn't even look at each other or acknowledge the other's existence.

"Maddie, if we need to, we can get a restraining order against your dad," she told her daughter finally, and Lin let his fork drop to his plate. She needed to let this go.

"Kate," he looked at her, running his tongue over his teeth.

"I'm serious," she said. "If he bothers you anymore, we'll do it."

"Mom, it's fine," Maddie said, wishing they didn't have to keep talking about this.

"But you said he completely threw off your swimming today," she said. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair is that you keep bad-mouthing my father," Maddie told her mother, glaring at her.

"Watch your tone," Kate warned her daughter. Maddie looked at Lin, exasperated.

"Lin?" she asked for some help.

"I think we just need to drop the subject for now," he told them both. "There's no use in talking about it more when everyone's still upset."

"Just know it's an option," Kate told her daughter.

"It's been noted," Lin said. "Now drop it."

The rest of dinner was mostly quiet. Once they were finished, both the kids went off to their rooms, not wanting to be around the tension. Lin wanted to admonish his wife again, but he decided not to. They'd just argue.

Lin spent the evening in the living room, and Kate in their bedroom. Around bedtime, Kate felt the need to go talk with her daughter. She didn't like being at odds with her like this. She knocked on Maddie's door then walked in. Maddie was on her bed messing with her phone.

"Hi, Mads," she greeted her, pulling out the desk chair.

"Hi," Maddie said timidly, setting her phone aside.

"I want to apologize if I've upset you today," she said. "I just have a lot of feelings regarding your father. It was very difficult for me to see him today."

"And how do you think I felt?" Maddie asked.

"I'm sure it was hard for you too," she acknowledged. "The year you were gone was very painful. I just don't want him hurting you again."

"I know," Maddie said. "And I'm not sure if I want to see him. But, he is my father and I haven't seen him for eight years."

Kate nodded. "That's a long time to be without your father," she admitted. Madeline nodded. She adored Lin, but she also knew Jason was her real father. It was painful not to have a relationship with him.

"Anyways," Kate said, rubbing her thighs a bit. "I just wanted to let you know I won't stand in your way if you want a relationship with him. Just be careful."

"I will," she said softly. Kate gave her a small smile and tucked the chair back in. She wandered out to the living room, where Lin was reclined on the couch watching a movie. She sat down next to his feet.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I just apologized to Maddie. I lost sight of the fact this is about her. My anger towards Jason took over."

Lin sat up and kissed Kate on the cheek. "That was big of you," he told her. "I'm sure that will help her feel better."

She nodded and leaned her body into his as he wrapped an arm around her. He pressed another kiss to her hair and guided her to lean back against the couch.

"I wish I'd met you before I met Jason," she mused. Lin tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Then you wouldn't have Maddie," he reminded her.

She smirked a little. "True. She's a pretty amazing kid. And resilient."

"She is," Lin agreed. "A great kid."

"Do you think she'll want a relationship with him?"

"I don't know," he said honestly, resting his chin on top of her head. "I imagine she'll want some kind of relationship with him."

"I just don't want her getting hurt," she said.

"I know," he kissed her again. Lin let his hand run over her belly, glad they weren't fighting any more. He gently put a finger on her chin, turning her face towards his. Lin captured her lips in a sweet kiss, letting their mouths fuse together. Then, he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue probe her mouth. She let out a little sigh as their tongues moved together. They'd been together for about nine years now, but he could still take her breath away.

Their kisses became more insistent, and Lin leaned his body towards her, urging her to lay down. She opened her legs to make space for him as they kissed more passionately. Lin pushed at her shirt, letting his hand wander up to her bra, cupping her full breast in his hand. She groaned, pushing her hips up towards his.

Soon, his fingers expertly unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and his fingers dove between her legs. He grinned when he found she was already wet. His fingers pushed inside her and she groaned.

Soon, his pants and underwear had been kicked off and he pulled hers down her legs. The best part of fighting was the make up sex. The made passionate love on the couch, reminding each other of their deep connection.


	24. 24

The next morning, Madeline was relieved that her parents seemed to have made up. They were back to their regular selves, touching each other with ease. Their love seemed so routine, so natural. Maddie had made up her mind over night. She wanted to see her father.

Secretly, she texted her father and asked if they could meet for lunch. Maddie made an excuse, saying she was going to meet a friend, and met up with her father a few blocks away.

Jason already had a table at the little diner. He smiled when she walked in, opening up his arms. Maddie decided it was okay, and stepped into the hug. His arms closed around her, and he hung on for a long time. She could feel him shaking a bit with emotion.

"Maddie, I missed you so much," he said softly. He pulled back, putting his hands on her upper arms, taking a good look at her. "You're so beautiful."

She smiled nervously and took her seat. The waitress set down a glass of water for both of them.

"So, when did you move back to New York?" she asked her father, unwrapping her straw.

"Two weeks ago," he said. "I got transferred for my job. How have you been?"

That was a loaded question. She shrugged. "Just keeping busy with school and swimming."

"You're on the swim team, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Butterfly is my specialty."

"You looked great on Saturday," he told her.

"I did terribly on Saturday," she countered. "I haven't gone that slow in a long time."

"Well, I was impressed," he told her. "And look, I'm sorry if I threw you off."

"Thanks," she said meekly. "You did kind of throw me off."

"I know," he said, feeling bad. "I just really wanted to see you again."

She nodded and took a sip from her drink, then they began to look at the menus. Maddie ordered some chicken strips and he got a burger.

"So, have you been a pretty happy kid?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said. "I get along with Mom and Lin for the most part. Rio's kind of annoying, but what little brother isn't?"

He chuckled. "How old is he?"

"Nine," she said.

"How's school?"

"Fine," she said. "I get mostly A's and B's."

"You were always a smart kid," he said. She shrugged and drank from her straw.

"Listen," he shifted gears. "Now that I'm in the city again, I'd love to spend more time with you. Not any formal visitation arrangements, but I'd love to have lunch with you and have you stay the night every once in a while."

"Yeah, maybe," she said. "We should take it slow."

She seemed wise beyond her years. Jason nodded in agreement. "Is it alright if I come to your swim meets?"

"Can you tell me ahead of time?" she asked. "And tell Mom?"

"Sure," he said. It must have been a shock for Kate to see him there.

Their food came about ten minutes later, and they spent the rest of the meal chatting and catching up. Jason thought she was a really neat kid. Her mom and Lin had done a great job with her, he had to admit.

Jason paid the bill and they stood up to leave. He hugged her again and then when they were outside, they went their separate ways. Maddie tucked her hands into her hoodie pocket on the way home. She couldn't help but smile a little bit. She'd enjoyed having lunch with her father. Maybe she didn't want to see him all the time at this point, but meeting for lunch once a week would be cool. The question was, should she tell her parents?

She got home and the rest of the family was just finishing up lunch themselves. Lin was washing off some plates in the sink as Rio got out his homework and spread it across the table. It was Sunday, so it was homework day. Maddie sighed, thinking about the assignments she still needed to do. It was best to get it out of the way so she could have the evening to herself.

Madeline seemed a bit aloof to her parents. She worked on her homework at the kitchen table, but would stop and just stare off into nothing for a few minutes. She'd be snapped out of it somehow, then go back to her work. Lin walked over and looked over her shoulder. She'd made tons of mistakes.

"Mads, you need to look back over section two again," he told her. "Lots of mistakes."

She sighed and turned the page in her math book back. She looked at #14 and erased her answer.

"Trouble concentrating?" he asked.

"I guess," she said.

"Do you need help?" he asked.

"No, I can do it," she assured him. "My mind keeps wandering."

Lin ruffled her hair a bit and went on with what he was doing. There were loads of laundry to do, as usual. Madeline took a lot longer to finish her work as usual. She had him check it, and he pointed out a couple mistakes that she corrected. Maddie decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She'd been thinking about her father all day. What kind of relationship did she want?

Lin made dinner that night and Maddie decided to help him. She seemed aloof as she helped with the ingredients.

"What's on your mind?" he asked his daughter.

She shrugged. "Nothing really."

"You've been staring off into space all day," he pointed out.

"I have?"

"Mmmmhmmm."

She sighed. "I guess I've been thinking about my dad."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh," she looked over both her shoulders and leaned in close to Lin. "I met him for lunch today."

"Did you?" he asked. "I'm proud of you."

"Why?"

"Because you did what you wanted to do."

"It was just lunch," she said.

"Still, it's a big step. How is he?"

"He's good. He just got transferred back for work. He wants to know if I want to have lunch with him and sleep over every once in a while."

"And how do you feel about that?" he probed.

"I think it would be okay. I mean, I'll stick to lunch on the weekends for now. I don't want to stay with him."

"Does he have a wife?"

"I didn't ask him that," she said, realizing he could possibly have a whole other family. He could have his own kids. "Don't tell Mom."

"You can tell your mom," Lin said. "I don't want you keeping things from her."

"But won't she be mad?"

"No," he said. "I think she realizes now that this about you, not her. She'll support you."

"Well, I'm not gonna tell her for now," she decided. "Maybe in a while."

"Okay," he said. "I won't say anything."

"Thanks," she said. "Hey, does he know that you adopted me?"

"Yes," Lin told her. "When I petitioned to adopt you, he had to sign over his rights. That was back when he was in prison."

"Are you glad you adopted me?" she asked, knowing the answer.

Lin smirked. "Of course," he said, kissing her hair. "I love you a ridiculous amount. Adopting you was one of the best things I've ever done. Besides marrying your mom and having Rio."

"Do you love me or Rio more?"

"The same," he told her.

"Why do parents always say that?" she smiled.

"It's true," he said. "I love you equally."

"I think I'm your favorite," she countered, smirking. "I came first and I'm adorable."

"Is that so?" he smiled. "You're a hot mess."

She shoved him playfully and he responded by tickling her. Maddie wondered if her relationship with her own father would ever be this good. Would they reach the point where they could banter back and forth, and he would tickle her? She knew Jason was her real father, but Lin felt like her dad. He'd been around for almost everything, and she adored him. You couldn't ask for a better father. So, did she really need her father?


	25. 25

Madeline walked into the apartment around 8:00 after having dinner with her father a week later. She sighed as she set down her backpack. She hadn't been home since before school. Her mother came storming down the hallway.

"Where have you been?!" she demanded, one hand on her hip.

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows. "Good to see you too."

"I asked you a question," she told her daughter.

Madeline scoffed a bit at how demanding she was being. "I told you. I was at the library with Janet."

"That's interesting, because I was at the library and I didn't see you anywhere," Kate accused her daughter. Lin was working in his office and overheard the beginning of the argument. He closed his laptop and carefully made his way out.

Madeline sighed and rolled her eyes. "I didn't know I was being spied on."

"You lied to me," Kate said, her voice terse. "Where were you?"

Maddie took her shoes off and kicked them aside. She was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Her mother had been so uptight lately.

"I was with Dad," she responded in an equally terse voice. "I didn't tell you because I assumed you'd freak out."

Kate was silent for several long moments as Maddie got a glass from the cabinet and poured herself some water.

"You were with your father?" she repeated softly, feeling a little betrayed.

"Yes," Maddie said, not really wanting to elaborate. "It's my decision if I want to see him or not."

Kate scoffed and started angry cleaning the living room. "That's your choice, I suppose."

Maddie had had a long day, and she was sick of the tension between her mother and father. Didn't they know the trauma they were putting her through by being at odds with one another? She knew her mother was still hurt from the whole kidnapping mess, but that was over 10 years ago now. She needed to move on.

"Mom, I'm getting really tired of your passive-aggressive comments," Madeline accused her mother, crossing her arms. Kate met her eyes and they glared at each other.

"How am I being passive-aggressive?" Kate countered, walking back over to the kitchen.

"Whenever I mention Dad, you make some bitchy comment."

"Well I'm sorry, I have a lot of strong feelings towards him," she reminded Maddie.

"So why do you have to unload your feelings on me?" Maddie raised her voice. "It's not fair!"

"I'm allowed to have my own opinion," Kate growled back. "I will not have my daughter telling me what I can and cannot say."

Maddie was seething and felt she was about to snap. "Such a bitch," she muttered under her breath, but her mother heard her. In a flash, Kate was in front of her and slapped her on the face.

Lin rushed out to the kitchen. Madeline was holding her face, and both mother and daughter looked shocked. Kate moved her hand up to her mouth, not believing she had just slapped her daughter.

"Kate!" Lin yelled as he rushed over to Madeline. He tried to pull her to him, but she pushed him away. Without another word, she stormed off to her bedroom, her hand on her red cheek. The door slammed.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" Lin demanded of his wife, crossing his arms.

"I-I don't know what happened," she explained, looking dazed. "I just snapped."

"Madeline's right," he told her. "She has a right to a relationship with her father and you're just making it difficult. She should be able to see him or talk about him without you making her feel guilty."

Kate glanced at her husband and saw how angry he was at her. She'd really blown in. Without another word, she stepped around him and went to their bedroom. Lin breathed out noisily, resting his hands against the counter. Kate and Madeline's relationship had turned volatile lately. On top of the regular teenage daughter/mother dynamic, Jason was thrown into the mix. He felt badly for Madeline. This was more than she needed to deal with.

Lin cleaned around the kitchen and living room, giving them time to cool off. He knew he was turning into moderator between the two. Kate kept letting her feelings towards Jason cloud her judgment with Maddie, and now she'd actually slapped her.

About half an hour later, Lin gently knocked on Madeline's door. He heard a faint 'come in', so he walked in and closed the door. She was sitting on her bed, working on her laptop, her face resting in her hand. Lin came to sit on her bed.

"You okay?" he asked her gently. She shrugged and kept her cheek hidden. "Let me see."

She sat up and turned her cheek towards him. It was still a little red. Lin frowned and sighed.

"I'm sorry she did that," Lin told her. "I think your mom's letting her emotions get the best of her."

"She's being completely unreasonable," Maddie accused. 

"I agree," Lin said, though he tread lightly. He didn't want Maddie thinking he and her mother weren't a team. Usually they backed each other up as a parental unit, but they all knew Kate was in the wrong. "She's got a lot of hard feelings towards your father."

"Believe me, I know," she said as she looked back at her screen. Lin gently squeezed her knee.

"I'll talk to her," Lin assured her. "She certainly shouldn't have slapped you."

 

"Can you tell her to stop pouncing on me? I feel like I can't breathe," she told him.

Lin nodded. "Well, some of that is just her being a mom, but yes, I'll talk to her about giving you some space. Do you have much more homework?"

"No," she told him.

"Good," Lin said, looking at his watch. It was almost 9:00. "Get to bed soon. I'll be back to say good night."

Lin left the room and then went to the master bedroom. Kate was laying on her side, facing away from him. He climbed onto the bed behind her, resting his head in his hand, propped up. He gently squeezed her hip and rubbed with his thumb.

"Hey," he told her.

"Hey," she said, in a defeated voice. Lin gently pulled on her hip so she was on her back and he could see her face.

"What happened back there?" he asked gently, not accusingly.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I lost it. I took it too far."

Lin nodded and let her continue. "I just...I can't stand the thought of her spending time with him. He caused us so much pain. Plus she lied to me."

"She lied to you because she was afraid of how you'd react. She's right, you make passive-aggressive comments whenever she spends time with him."

She sighed, hating that he was right. She was being completely ridiculous.

"Is she pissed at me?" she looked at him finally.

"She's upset," Lin told her. "Rightfully so. You slapped her."

She looked away at the reminder. "I'll go apologize," Kate told him. "I was in the wrong."

"If you keep trying to tighten the leash, she's gonna resist more," Lin told her, knowing enough about their kid that this wasn't a good approach to keeping her in line. "You need to back off."

"I will," she told him, pushing herself to seated. "Is she still awake?"

"Yep," he said, sitting up himself. Kate swung her legs over the side of the bed and paused, sighing out loudly. Lin gently rubbed her side and gave her shoulder a kiss. "You're doing the right thing."

Lin went to the bathroom to brush the teeth while Kate made her way down the hallway to Maddie's room. She knocked and was told to come in. Maddie was now laying on her bed, messing around on her phone. Kate pulled out her desk chair and sat down, looking repentant. She gave her daughter a small smile as she sat down.

"Madeline, I'm so very sorry I slapped you," she began. "I should never have done that. I hope you can forgive me. I just...I saw red and I lost it."

 

Maddie sighed and put down her phone, turning on her side. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch."

"Thanks," Kate said. "But...I was being a bitch."

Maddie was surprised that her mother was admitting to it. She didn't say anything, not knowing the right words.

"You're right. If you want to spend time with your father, you should be able to without me making you feel guilty. He's your father after all."

Maddie nodded a little bit. "Thanks," she said softly.

"I don't want you to have to lie to me about where you're going so you can spend time with him. That's not right."

It was quiet for a few moments before Kate continued. "If I'm ever making you feel uncomfortable about your father again, just tell me okay? I'll try to be more honest with myself. Okay?"

"Okay," Maddie whispered. Kate nodded and patted her thighs before getting up. She walked over to her daughter and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you. Good night."

"Love you too," Maddie said. After her mother had left, she turned onto her back again. She hoped her mother's words had been genuine. Her life would be so much easier if she didn't have to tiptoe around her mother. It's not like she was going to talk about her father with her all the time. She just wanted to spend some time with him.

Maddie got out her cell phone again and texted her father thank you for taking her out to dinner. He replied saying you're welcome and asked if he could treat her to a movie that weekend. Maddie smiled and confirmed. They set a movie time. She climbed under the covers and turned off her light. Maybe things would be okay now.


	26. 26

A month later, Maddie returned one Saturday afternoon with an armful of bags. She smiled and sang to herself a little bit as she kicked off her shoes and set down her bags. Lin looked over his shoulder from where he sat on the couch. He furrowed his eyebrows. More stuff.

"Hi, Maddie," he greeted her. "Shopping spree?"

She chuckled a little as she found a snack in the pantry, then walked to the couch. She plopped down next to Lin and started munching on her cookie.

"What did you two do?" he asked, closing his laptop. Most Saturdays in the last month consisted of Maddie going out with her father and coming back with new stuff.

"We went to the Met, and then he took me shopping," she said. "Oh! And I got my nails done!"

She flashed them to him and nodded and smiled. "He's been spending a lot of money on you lately," he observed.

Madeline shrugged as she finished her first cookie. "He said he's making up for not seeing me for eight years."

Lin understood in a way, but wasn't sure if this was the right approach. He fully supported Madeline having a relationship with her father, but he was starting to spoil her at this point. In the last month, she'd gotten tons of new clothes, a new laptop, and trips to the spa. He took her to some of the nicest restaurants in the city. He got that Jason wanted to make up for lost time, but it was getting out of hand. He didn't want to interfere with their relationship, but was starting to think he needed to say something to Jason.

Lin sighed. "I don't think you need any more clothes," he told her. "Why don't you guys just do something chill like go to the movies or have a picnic in the park."

She shrugged again and bit into another cookie. "He wants to spend money on me."

"We have reservations for dinner at seven," he told her. "Can you get your room cleaned by then?"

"Yep," she said, getting up to get her bags. Things were a bit better between Kate and Maddie. Kate still wasn't happy about Jason being around, but she was being careful about what she said around her daughter. This was between her and Jason, and their feelings shouldn't affect Maddie's relationship with her father.

Lin went back to the master bedroom where Kate was deciding what to wear for dinner that evening. She stood in front of her full-length mirror, half dressed, trying to decide what blouse went best with her new skirt. Lin walked up behind her and closed his arms around her, staring at her in the mirror. She smirked and rubbed his arms.

"Hey, gorgeous," he told her, planting a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Hey," she said, looking at him in the mirror.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to decide which blouse to wear," she told him. She reached for the first of three blouses, holding it up. She showed him the other two, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the last of them in the mirror.

Lin took the blouse from her and tossed it onto the chair, then turned her in his arms. He began kissing her hungrily and walking her back towards the bed.

"Lin, I just took a shower," she complained and he just chuckled. Just then, Rio walked by.

"Mom!" he called, and his parents broke apart. His mother was in a skirt and a bra and her father was feeling her up. Gross.

"Ugghh!!" he complained, shielding his eyes. "That's disgusting."

Kate sighed and grabbed one of the blouses and put it on quickly.

"Sorry, Rio," she told him. "Give me a second."

Lin collapsed onto the bed, disappointed, and laid on his side. Damn kids. Once she was dressed, she called out to her son.

"Rio, come back! What do you need?"

The nine year old walked back in, looking a little embarrassed. "How come Maddie got another new phone?"

Kate furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at her husband, who looked just as confused. "She got a new phone?"

"Yeah!" he complained. "And a new case. You said I was gonna get one next time she got an upgrade."

"Jason must've gotten it for her," Lin said, sighing. Maddie hadn't shown him that earlier. Probably because she knew he'd think it was too much.

"Madeline!" Kate called for her daughter. A door opened down the hall and music poured into the hallway.

"Yeah?" she poked her head out.

"Come here, please," Kate said. Soon the whole family was in the master bedroom, Rio looking thoroughly displeased.

"You got a new phone?" Kate asked her.

"Yeah," she said, like it was nothing.

"Did your father buy it for you?"

"Mmmhmmm," she said.

"Let me see it."

 

Madeline sighed and took out her phone. A brand new iPhone X with all the bells and whistles. Kate looked it over and passed it back.

"You don't need a new phone," Kate told her. "You weren't eligible for an upgrade."

"Dad paid," Maddie said.

"I'm sure he did," Kate commented. "Madeline, you need to take that back. It's too much."

"No," she said, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me?" Kate questioned her daughter, crossing her arms.

"We traded in my old phone for this one. This one's mine now."

Kate rubbed at her face, frustrated. Lin made a very comfortable living, but they made a point not to spoil their children. Jason seemed to be going out of his way to undermine them. Whatever Maddie wanted, Jason got it for her.

"Well, tomorrow you're going to take it back and get your old one back," Kate decided, picking up her other blouses.

"Mom!" she instantly complained.

"Her dad keeps buying her everything!" Rio complained. "It's not fair!"

"Shut up!" Maddie snapped at her younger brother.

"Make me!"

Lin got up and put a hand on Rio's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go talk."

Lin guided his son down the hallway, away from his sister. They had a more intense sibling rivalry than most kids, and now it was being amped up further by Jason. It was hard for a nine year old to understand.

"Dad, it's not fair!" he argued as they walked down the hallway. "He buys her whatever she wants."

"I know, bud," Lin agreed, patting his back as they walked to his room. "Your mom and I need to talk to her father about this. I know it seems very unfair."

"She doesn't even deserve it," he said as Lin shut his bedroom door behind him.

"What do you mean?" Lin asked his son.

"She made me promise not to tell but she's been paying me to do her chores," he confessed to his father. "Using money from her dad."

Lin sighed and leaned forward on his elbows. "Well, that's not a very smart thing for her to do. She needs to take care of her own responsibilities. How long has this been going on?"

"A month," he said. 

Lin heard arguing from down the hallway and knew Kate probably needed backup. He realized Madeline was getting way more out of the situation than he'd realized. This wasn't going to work.

"Alright, Rio. Thanks for letting me know. Why don't you stay in here until it's time for dinner. You got something picked out to wear?"

He nodded as his father left. Maddie was in the hallway, heading towards her room as she yelled at her mother.

"You have no right to make me give back my phone!" she growled as Kate glared at her from the master bedroom door.

"I'm your mother. Yes I do," she countered, taking a step towards her daughter.

"My dad bought it for me!" she said. "He's my parent too!"

"Not a very good one," she quipped. Madeline moved to lunge towards her mother, but Lin caught her upper arm.

"Maddie, that's enough," he told her firmly, pulling her back towards her room.

"Lin, get her cell phone," Kate told him. "She's refusing to hand it over."

"I'm not giving it to you!" she yelled as Lin pulled her towards her bedroom. Lin shooshed her and finally got her into room, where he closed the door.

"Sit down and take a few breaths," he told her, crossing his arms.

"She's going crazy again, Lin!" Maddie complained as she stormed to her bed.

"That I'm not so sure of," he told her. Maddie knitted her eyebrows, confused as to why her stepfather was taking her mother's side. He'd backed her up before.

"What do you mean?"

Lin sat down on the desk chair. "There's no reason you need a new phone and all this stuff from your dad. I'm getting the feeling you're starting to take advantage of the situation."

"How?" she demanded.

"Well, Rio just told me that you've been paying him to do your chores?" he questioned her. "And that your dad's been giving you money?"

Maddie groaned and collapsed onto her bed and rubbed her hands over her face, her shirt riding up a little bit. A little sparkle caught Lin's eye and he looked at her belly button. It was pierced. She'd asked to get it pierced weeks ago and was told no.

"What's that?" he motioned with his head towards her stomach. Maddie looked down and immediately pulled her shirt over her belly button. She sat up and went to her closet, sighing.

"You got your belly button pierced?" he clarified. "After your mother and I told you no?"

"What's the big deal?!" she demanded. "I asked my dad and he said yes. Like I said, he's my father too."

Lin couldn't argue with that. This whole situation was Jason's fault. He was giving in to her every whim just to gain her approval and affection. Maddie was taking full advantage of the situation. Lin stood up, sighing.

"I didn't think you were the kind of kid that would play one parent off the other," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Or pay her brother to take care of her own responsibilities."

They were both quiet as Lin looked her up and down for a moment. "I'm disappointed in you."

Lin left the room without saying anything else, closing the door behind him. He walked back to the master bedroom, where Kate had finally decided on a blouse. She was now putting on her make up but didn't look happy.

"Did you get her phone?" she asked.

Lin scrubbed a hand over his face. "Christ. No, I forgot."

Kate sighed as she put on her mascara. "I don't like this, Lin. I don't like it at all."

"Me neither," he agreed and decided not to tell her about the piercing at the moment. They both heard a door open loudly, banging against the wall. Then angry feet. Lin rushed out to see what was happening. He saw Madeline's frame storming down the hallway, a bag on her shoulder.

"Madeline!" he yelled, chasing after him. She kept going. "Madeline!"

He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

"Let me go!" she snapped, moving her arm away.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her as Kate walked out into the hallway.

"I'm going to my dad's," she said, glaring at her mother. "I don't get yelled at all the time over there."

"Madeline-" Lin began.

"Save it," she said, turning on her heels.

Lin reached for her again but Kate's voice stopped him. "Let her go," she said. "If she's going to act like a spoiled brat, go be with your father."

"I hate you!!" Madeline screamed as she reached the front door. It slammed behind her, causing some of the picture frames to rattle on the walls. Lin closed his eyes and let his body rest against the wall. He hated this. Hated fighting with Madeline, and hated Jason for making this situation. Kate stood silently in the hallway for a few moments, staring at the floor. She then sighed and walked back to her room, closing the door behind her.


	27. 27

Madeline knocked on her father's apartment door, her bag over her shoulder. She heard footsteps and then the door opened a few moments later.

"Madeline?" her father answered, looking surprised. She moved to step forward and he opened the door for her to come in. "What's going on?"

Maddie strolled over to the couch and sat down, sighing. "Mom and Lin are getting on my nerves," she told him. "They're mad that you bought me stuff."

He sighed and closed the door behind him, walking over the couch. He seemed a little distracted.

"I'm sorry if they upset you," he said, sitting down next to her. She sat pack and pulled out her phone. Neither of them had contacted her yet. Maddie tossed her phone on the couch beside her.

"Mom doesn't think I needed a new phone. Rio's just jealous."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah," she said, examining her fingernails. Madeline heard noise from down the hall. Laughter. She turned to her father, looking for an explanation.

"I have a guest over," he said vaguely, rubbing at his forehead with his fingers.

"Who?" she asked after a few moments of silence. Her father sighed and looked down.

"Her name is Julia," he said. "I've been seeing her for a few weeks now."

Madeline was silent for several long moments. "Oh."

She'd never really thought about her father seeing someone. As far as she knew, he'd been single this whole time.

"I've been wanting to introduce you," he went on as Madeline stood up and walked to the kitchen to get some water. She wasn't sure how she felt about this. It's not like her father had to tell her everything, but this seemed pretty big. "She has a daughter about your age."

Maddie stopped, freezing. A daughter her age? She felt a pang of jealousy for some reason.

"Ummm..." she continued. "Is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

"Of course," he said, standing up and walking to the kitchen. "We were gonna go out to dinner and a movie, though, so I won't really be around tonight."

"Oh. Okay," she said, pouring herself a glass of water. "I can just hang out here."

She curled up on the couch with her water and some chips, watching a game show her father had on. He disappeared down the hallway to his bedroom, probably to tell Julia about her. This was gonna be so weird. Maybe she should just go home. But no, her mom and Lin were acting like asses.

A few minutes later, she heard whispering down the hallway, and a woman's voice giggling. A couple moments later, they came into view. Madeline licked her fingers and then wiped them on her shirt.

"Madeline!" Julia greeted her, over-smiling. She held out her hand and Maddie leaned forward to take it, but didn't stand up.

"Hi," she said hesitantly. 

"It's so nice to finally meet you!" she said, very enthusiastic. "He talks about you all the time. He's missed you so much."

"I bet," Maddie said, settling back down. She did a quick up and down glance of the woman. She was well put together, with make up and pretty earrings. Julia seemed nice enough, but she didn't really want to talk to her. She pulled out her phone, hoping Julia wouldn't try talking to her anymore. It seemed to work.

They went to the kitchen and talked about random stuff as Madeline channel surfed and played on her phone. It was nice just to be away from her mother and Lin. Jason got a phone call, and seemed to lower his voice immediately. Madeline could tell it was her mother.

"Yeah, she's here," he said, glancing at her from the kitchen. He was quiet for a long time, and Madeline could hear her mother's raised voice as he walked past her to the master bedroom so he could have some privacy. Madeline sighed and rested her cheek on her fist. He came back out a few minutes later, tucking his phone in his pocket.

"That was your mom," he told his daughter, sighing. "She wants me to return your phone."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "She's being ridiculous. You bought it for me. It's none of her business."

He looked at his feet, tipping back on his heels for a moment. "Madeline-" he began, rubbing his forehead.

She crossed her arms and looked at him, mouth open. He wasn't going to take their side, was he?

"Dad-"

"I don't want to cause a riff between you and your mother," he explained.

"She's a crazy bitch!" she accused, standing up.

"Don't call your mother that word," he said sternly.

"Why not?!" Madeline growled. "That's what she is. She's trying to ruin my damn life."

"Madeline-"

She grabbed her purse and roughly pulled it over her shoulder. "Screw this. Screw you."

Her father called after her and she ran out of the apartment, slamming the door after her. Had all the adults in her life gone crazy? He bought her a phone, and now all of a sudden he's listening to her mother? At least when one parent was being crazy she could go be with the other, but now apparently that wasn't going to happen.

Madeline wasn't sure where she was going to go, but she stormed out to the street and started walking. She heard her phone buzzing, but she ignored it.

She walked for a long time. It was starting to get dark outside and she knew she needed to find somewhere to go. She didn't want to go to either of her parents' houses. She came across a youth hostile and decided to go in. They checked her in and assigned her a bunk. Maddie curled up on her bed and sighed. Throughout the evening, her phone dinged with texts and calls, but she didn't want to talk to anyone.

Across town, Lin and Kate were going crazy with worry. Jason had called to say Madeline ran away. It was now 10:00 and she hadn't told anyone where she was. Lin started calling up the hospitals and police stations to see if anyone matching her description got called in. None of her friends had heard from her.

Rio came out to the living room to say goodnight to his parents and could tell they were stressed. Sometimes he really hated his sister for causing them stress. He watched as they both made phone calls frantically. He sighed and hugged his mother.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she told him, offering a small smile.

"Have you thought about checking the youth hostiles?" he suggested. Kate's face opened up a bit at the suggestion.

"Thanks, Rio," she told him. "Sleep tight."

After Lin hung up with one of the hospitals, Kate told him their son's ideas. They started calling around. There were lots of teenagers in the hostiles, so her description was rather common. Most of the hostiles required names and IDs to get in, so they asked for her by name. Soon, they got lucky.

"I'll go get her," Lin decided, tucking his wallet and phone into his pockets. He kissed his wife goodbye and took the subway across town to the hostile where Madeline was staying. He walked inside and introduced himself to the attendant. She walked him back to Maddie's room. When Maddie saw Lin, she sighed and her shoulders dropped.

"Let's go, Madeline," he told her from the door. He turned his head to the attendant and thanked her.

"I'm staying here," she told Lin boldly, crossing her arms.

"No you're not," he said, stepping in. "You're angry at your mother and father and me, but you don't need to run away. Come home."

"I don't want to be with that bitch," she growled.

"Hey!" he snapped, raising his voice. "Have some respect for your mother."

"She's crazy!"

"She wants what's best for you."

"Shouldn't that include having a new phone?" she pointed out. Lin scrubbed a hand over his face.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, you need to come home," he told his daughter. Madeline just laid down on her bed in defiance.

"Madeline, I will not hesitate to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here," Lin threatened. "Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Maddie glared at Lin and knew he wasn't joking. She angrily grabbed her things and stormed out of the room, Lin following behind her. The attendant wished them a good night meekly as they walked out. They caught the subway and wordlessly made their way home.

Lin had already texted his wife that he had Maddie and she was waiting up on the couch. Kate didn't say anything to her daughter as they walked in, just stared at her for a few moments. She got up and set her wine glass in the sink, then went back to her room to go to bed.

Madeline felt like everyone hated her. She just stood in the kitchen, her arms crossed as she stared at the floor. Lin could sense she was upset. He was still annoyed with her, but could tell she needed a bit of affirmation. He stopped next to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Get to bed," he said softly. "We'll figure this all out tomorrow."

Lin walked back to his room, leaving Madeline in the kitchen. Sighing, Maddie kicked off her shoes and climbed into her own bed, not bothering to change into her pajamas.


	28. 28

Madeline managed to avoid her parents the next morning. She slept late so had to rush to get ready for school, leaving no time to talk. With everything that had gone on the night before, she hadn't had time to do her homework, but frankly she didn't care. Her math teacher would probably make her serve a lunch detention.

She left the apartment without saying goodbye, ducking out quietly amiss the usual morning chaos. Her mother always made sure she ate breakfast before she left, but Maddie had skipped that today and she was already feeling it. She was done. Done with the arguing amongst her parents and done with her mother telling her she couldn't accept gifts from her father. It was ridiculous, and Maddie felt like she needed to shake things up.

Maddie served her lunch detention and skipped lunch as well. By the afternoon, she could tell her blood sugar was low. She hadn't felt this lousy in a long time. Soon teachers were calling her out, telling her to pay attention and asking if she felt well. She struggled through the end of the day and went home. Lin was home, and he called after her, but she stormed straight off to her room and locked the door.

She curled up on her bed and put in her earbuds, then let herself slip off to sleep. Her body was protesting its lack of food and sugar.

Around dinner time, Lin realized he hadn't seen Maddie since she got home from school. That wasn't out of the ordinary. She was a teenager full of angst, after all, and would usually rather be in her own room than hanging out with her family. At dinner time, he knocked on her door to get her and she didn't answer. He tried the door and found it was locked.

"Madeline?" he called a little louder. "Open the door please?"

There was still nothing from inside. Not even a peep. He called again and then began to become concerned. Her lock wasn't a real lock; it could easily be picked with a paperclip, which he did. He found Madeline curled up on her bed, looking pale. Lin strode over to her bed and shook her, and she was almost unresponsive. He patted her face a little and called her name. She opened her eyes a little, but they rolled back in her head.

"Jesus, Mads," he looked into her face. Her skin felt clammy. "Have you checked your blood sugar lately?"

Lin had been around her enough times when she had low blood sugar that he immediately recognized it. He turned her onto her back and shook her a little more. She looked terrible. Lin raced to the kitchen and found Madeline's emergency kit. Inside, there was glucagon, which could be injected if her blood sugar ever got dangerously low. Lin was pretty sure this qualified. He'd never had to inject her before, and was hoping it would stay that way. Lin himself wasn't a huge fan of needles and thought of pricking his kid with it wasn't at the top of his list of things he wanted to do.

He brought the kit with him, setting it down on her bedside table. He found the little vial of rubbing alcohol and some cotton swabs. There was a little cheat-sheet included, thank goodness, because it had been a long time since Lin had learned about what to do. She would need to be injected on the buttocks or the thigh. He decided the thigh would be the least invasive. Lin managed to unbutton and tug down her jeans to her knees and then pressed the swab to the area. Maddie winced at the cold.

"Sorry, Mads," he apologized. "I'm gonna have to give you a shot of glucagon. You're really out of it."

 

She moaned as Lin grabbed the vial. He inserted the needle and then pulled out the plunger until he had the correct measurement. Then, he pulled it out, took a deep breath, and willed himself to do the task. He pressed the needle into Maddie's thigh and she groaned a little, then he pressed the plunger, giving his daughter her much-needed medication. Once it was in, he pulled out the needle and set it down on the kit. He knew he needed to get Maddie to a doctor.

"Alright, baby girl, I'm gonna take you to a clinic," he said as he pulled on her arms to sit her up. Maddie was still completely out of it. Lin pulled her up to standing and managed to pull her jeans back up over her hips and button them.

"Rio!" he called for his son. Rio heard the tone of his father's voice and came to his sister's room immediately. "Help me with her. I need to get her to a doctor."

 

Lin wrapped one of her arms around his neck and Rio took the other. Together, they walked her through the house, out the door, and to the elevator. Lin hailed a cab and looked up the closest clinic on his phone. Within 5 minutes, they were checking in.

Lin gave the receptionist Maddie's name and birthday, then started to fill out some medical forms.

"Text your mom and tell her where we are," he told Rio as they sat in the waiting room. Madeline was doing slightly better. She'd opened her eyes and her skin color was looking a bit better. She sat next to Lin, leaning into his side as he wrote.

Five minutes later, her name was called. Lin and Rio helped her to the exam room and laid her down on the table. They sighed at the exertion, sitting down in the two chairs. The nurse took Maddie's vitals and blood sugar.

"How's her blood sugar get so low?" Rio asked as they waited. "I've never seen her this bad."

"I don't know," Lin said, scrubbing a hand over his goatee, but he suspected it was on purpose. There was no good reason it should have dropped so low on a regular day. "I'll have to ask her when she's back with it."

Luckily, they didn't have to wait too terribly long. A female doctor came in and greeted Lin and Maddie.

"Maddie, it seems that your blood sugar got pretty low today," she said as she got out her otoscope to check her eyes. "Do you have any idea how that happened?"

"No, not really," she lied, obviously still out of it.

"We got the readings back," she said as she switched to the other eye. "Your level's now at 90, which is still pretty low. I understand your dad gave you an injection of glucagon?"

"Yes, I did," Lin jumped in. "When I found her she was pretty unresponsive and and her skin was clammy and cold."

"If it's only at 90 now after that shot, it must have been dangerously low, Madeline," the doctor said, scooting back on her rolling stool. "You're lucky you didn't have a seizure."

The nurse walked in with some sort of instrument and stood next to Maddie.

"I'm gonna have the nurse hook you up to this device," she explained. "It's going to closely monitor your blood sugar. We'll hook you up to an IV and get you all leveled out. Then you should start feeling much better."

Madeline nodded, not that she would protest much anyway. The device was hooked up and showed her level as 93. She looked away when her IV was hooked up, sending more medication into her. Maddie laid back down on the bed as the nurse covered up with a blanket since she still felt cold.

Slowly, her blood sugar level began to come back to a normal level. Lin kept asking her questions, gauging her level of alertness. He felt immense relief when she started talking pretty much normally.

About an hour and a half after she'd arrived, she was deemed stable, and was released. Lin was told to check her blood sugar level every two hours while she was awake. As they walked out to the street, Lin stayed by his daughter's side in case she got woozy. They hailed a cab home and Madeline went to her room. Lin gave her a few minutes to herself, but then knew he needed to talk to her. He knocked and went inside, sitting on her bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Fine," she said grudgingly, scratching at her arm where her IV had been.

"Maddie, how did your blood sugar get so low today?" he asked her, not beating around the bush. "You've never gotten that bad before."

She shrugged and studied her nail beds.

"Madeline, did you do this on purpose?" he guessed.

"Why would I do that?" she asked him.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe to get attention?"

"It's not a big deal," she tried to brush it off. It seemed kind of silly now.

"It is," he corrected her. "You put your health in danger. You could have had a seizure. Are you trying to make your mom and I feel guilty about something?"

It sounded so stupid when he said it. She sighed. "Lin, I-" she paused, not knowing how to continue. Lin waited patiently. He turned his body so he was facing her side. "I don't know. I get so sick of you guys all arguing and telling me I shouldn't be getting gifts from Dad. I'm sick of feeling like shit."

Lin nodded and scratched the back of his head. He figured it was something like that. Payback for all the angst they'd caused her.

"I can understand you've been feeling stressed with all this," he said. "But deliberately causing your blood sugar to drop like that? Not the smartest choice."

"I know," she sighed. "I felt like crap. I'll never do it again."

"Good," he said, relieved. As a parent, he'd never been more terrified in his life. To see his daughter like that shook him to his core. "You better not scare your mother or me like that ever again."

"I won't," she said softly. "I promise."

Lin gently pulled her head towards him and planted a kiss on her head. "Do you need something to eat before dinner?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm starving. I didn't eat all day."

She followed him out to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of cookies. As she was chowing down, Kate walked in from work.

"Madeline!" she dropped her stuff and immediately pulled her daughter into a hug. Madeline awkwardly accepted, holding her cookies in one hand as she tried to finish chewing.

"Mom," she assured her softly. "I'm okay."

Kate pulled back and looked at her daughter, concerned. "You scared me half to death." Kate smoothed her hair lovingly, just looking at her kid. She pulled her in for another hug and finally let her go. She smiled at Lin and hugged him warmly.

"And you had to give her a shot, huh?" she asked, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "How did you get through that?"

"I have no idea," he admitted. "Not something I ever want to do again."

"Yeah, it still hurts, by the way," she complained, rubbing at her upper thigh. Lin didn't feel too sorry for her since she'd brought it on herself. He just chuckled and rubbed Kate's arms.

"I've got dinner," he told her. "Why don't you go relax for a few?"

"I won't argue with that," she said, kicking off her heels. She disappeared to her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. Madeline disappeared to her room with her snack. When Kate came back out, Lin called her over.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Madeline did this all on purpose."

She looked at him, confused. "What? Why would she do that?"

"Payback," he told her. "She's sick of us arguing with her dad and giving her crap about the stuff he buys her."

Kate scoffed and crossed her arms. "So, what? She endangers her life to prove a point?"

He shrugged as he stirred at the vegetables frying in the pan. "Teenage brain."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I didn't think she'd be capable of something like that," she said. "Maybe I need to talk to her some more about her dad. I know I haven't been that approachable."

"You could say that," Lin agreed. Kate laughed and gave him a playful shove. He was glad that Kate was starting to see the light. She wasn't so angry that she was blinded anymore. Lin would let her take the lead, since all this drama was with her ex.

After dinner, Kate went to visit her daughter. Maddie took a shower and was looking very refreshed and back to her usual self.

"Lin tells me you did all this today on purpose," she began, eyeing her daughter. Maddie looked away, embarrassed.

"Look," she continued. "I'm not angry at you. Okay, I'm a little annoyed, but I'm sorry that you felt things had gotten so bad that you needed to do something so drastic. What is it that's bothering you so much?"

"It's just that you make me feel guilty any time I'm with him," she began. "You've gotten better but it's almost like a passive-aggressive thing. I can tell you hate him. And I don't blame you, but he's my dad. And I want to have a relationship with him. And then we he buys me a couple things, you freak out. So what if he buys me a new cell phone? That's his business."

"I'm just afraid he's trying to buy your affection," Kate said, rubbing her daughter's leg. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"He doesn't have to buy my affection," Maddie said. "I love him."

"I know," Kate said softly, pulling her daughter's head towards her to give her a kiss. "And I'm sorry if I've caused you pain. That's the last thing I want to do as your mother. Forgive me?"

Maddie smiled and leaned into her mother. "Yeah. Of course."

They just relaxed for a few minutes on the bed, leaning into each other. The tension between them had lessened greatly, and Maddie was especially grateful. She didn't like fighting with her mother.

"Is it okay if I spend the weekend with Dad?" she asked. Kate squeezed her shoulder.

"Sure," she said softly. "But I'll miss you."

Kate kissed her head again and then stood up. "Have you checked your blood sugar lately?"

"Yeah, right after my shower," she said. "Normal."

"Good," she said. "Get an early night tonight. I'm sure this was all exhausting."

Madeline thought that sounded really good. She changed into her pajamas and was climbing into bed at 8:00. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

Around 10:00, Kate and Lin went to bed as well. Lin stopped at his daughter's bedroom and peeked in. When he watched her sleep, she looked so sweet and helpless. After the day's ordeal, he was feeling overprotective of her. He quietly walked in and adjusted her covers, then knelt down next to her. Her breathing was slow and even. Lin just watched her sleeping for several minutes. He hoped that he never had to experience anything like he'd had to experience today. It had been the worst moment of life. Finally, he stood and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He took a final look at his kid and gently closed the door behind him, knowing she was safe.


	29. 29

Maddie hoped things would be better between her and her mother from now on. It seemed she'd finally pulled her head out of her butt and realized how difficult she'd been making her life. She was looking forward to a weekend with her father. On Friday morning, she took an overnight bag to school and shoved it in her locker. She took the subway to his place after school.

When she arrived, she was surprised to find another kid about her age already reclined on the couch. She realized she must be his girlfriend's daughter. What the hell was she doing here? Maddie figured she had the same thought about her, because she studied her with a confused look.

"Who are you?" she asked Maddie.

"Madeline," she responded, setting my bag down. "I'm Jason's daughter."

"Oh," she said, stuffing a Cheeto in her mouth. "I'm Charlie. Charlotte."

She didn't go to Maddie's school. Maddie went to one of the cabinets and found a granola bar for a snack.

"Is my dad home?" she asked her as she sat on the other couch. She shook her head.

"I think he works until six," she responded.

She had MTV on, which was fine with her. They watched silently without talking, wondering what to think about each other. Was she going to be here the whole weekend? Was she staying the night?

Her mom walked in a few minutes later with some grocery bags. "Hi, Charlie!" she called, setting her armload of bags down. "Can you can help me?"

Charlie sighed and walked to the kitchen, where she helped unload groceries. Her mom caught sight of Maddie.

"Oh, hi Maddie!" she said, smiling.

"Hi," she responded politely. She was in Dad's apartment with two strangers. It was super uncomfortable. She wished her dad would be home soon. A little after six, he finally arrived.

"Hi, sweetheart," he greeted his daughter, planting a kiss on her head. She was relieved as he sat down with her. He chatted with Julia about their days as they all relaxed in the living room. Well, Maddie wasn't very relaxed. Her dad announced he was going to go change and then they could all go out to dinner. Maddie gave him a minute, then walked back to this bedroom. She knocked and heard him tell her to come in. She stood a bit nervously while he combed his hair in the bathroom.

"Uh...Dad?" she asked a bit timidly.

"Yep?" he asked.

"Is Charlie gonna be here all weekend?"

"She's staying til tomorrow afternoon," he told his daughter. "She'll be back with her dad then."

Maddie bit her lip, feeling disappointed.

"Where are we sleeping?" she asked. There was one guest room with one queen sized bed.

"Uh, we'll have to figure that out. The couch is a pull-out. Would you mind being there?"

She shrugged. "I guess not."

Her father walked out and squeezed her upper arm, smiling. "Great. Thank you. I think you'll like Charlie. She's a nice kid."

He walked out, leaving Maddie trailing behind him. Jason found his shoes and began lacing them up on the couch.

"Have you girls talked much?" he asked Maddie and Charlie. "I think you're both in the same grade."

"Sophomore?" Charlie asked, and Maddie nodded. "Where do you go?"

"Hunter," she responded.

"Smarty pants," she quipped. "I go to Stuyvesant."

Madeline nodded. She didn't know anyone who went there. It was a huge city, after all. She kinda hated how adults thought that just because two kids were the same age that they would get along. Maddie studied Charlie. She seemed to be going for a bit of a hipster vibe, but wasn't sure she was completely pulling it off. They would never be friends. Maddie wondered if they would eventually be stepsisters.

"Everyone ready?" Julia asked, putting on some lipstick. Everyone got up and they headed to a diner down the street. Madeline was quiet during most of the meal. It seemed like the three of them were all buddies. They talked and joked around easily, and Maddie couldn't really find a way to insert herself into the conversation. She just listened, getting more and more annoyed that she couldn't just spend time with her dad. Why did they have to be here? Didn't they have their own place?

She trailed behind them on the way home. The plan was to eat popcorn and watch movies. Maddie kind of just wanted to disappear and be by herself, but since her bed was the couch, she couldn't. She tucked herself into the single couch chair and scrolled through her phone.

Finally, everyone went to bed. Her dad helped make up her bed, then kissed her good night. Maddie climbed under the covers and tried to settle in. She could feel the springs in the mattress and felt a pang of jealousy that Charlie got the good bed.

In the morning she awoke, not feeling very refreshed, when Julia walked into the kitchen to make coffee. She must have forgotten Maddie was there because she was pretty scantily clad. What she was wearing almost looked like lingerie. Gross.

As she moved around the kitchen, she caught glimpse of Maddie again, who was starting to sit up in bed.

"Oh! Madeline!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I forgot you were here."

She rushed down the hallway and returned wearing a robe. Maddie rolled her eyes as she got out of her 'bed', and stumbled to the bathroom. At least she was first to the shower. When she came out, Julia had already changed the pull-out bed back into the couch. The news had been turned on and she was sipping coffee.

"Hey there," she greeted Maddie. Madeline grabbed a breakfast bar from the kitchen and sat down in the single chair again, scrolling through her phone. She hoped it sent the message that she didn't want to talk. Her dad wandered out a few minutes later, yawning. Charlie, it seemed, like to sleep late. That was fine with Maddie.

"Maddie, do you wanna go do something today?" he asked, sitting down with his coffee.

"Just the two of us?" he checked.

"Sure," he said, taking a sip.

Maddie shrugged. "We could go to a museum or something," she said. They decided on MoMa. Julia went to wake up her daughter a little after ten. She had to meet her father around noon. From Charlie's reaction, she didn't like her father that much. Maddie felt lucky that she liked both Lin and her father.

"Can't I just stay here with you?" she complained on the couch, curled up with a blanket.

"That'll upset your father," Julia said, "And then he'll call me and complain and I don't want to have to listen to that."

"I don't want to listen to him either!" Charlie pointed out.

"It's the custody arrangement, Char," Julia shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it."

Charlie grumbled and turned her attention back to the TV.

___

Over the next month or so, whenever Maddie visited Charlie was there most of the time. It was starting to get super annoying. She thought Charlie was obnoxious and loud, and her fake-hipster thing was getting stupid.

The worst, though, was when Maddie went to her father's, expecting to spend time with him, but he was out with Charlie. She thought he knew she was coming over, but he had taken her to see Dear Evan Hansen. Madeline had wanted to see that. Why was he doing father/daughter things with Charlie instead of him? It seemed a bit childish, but Maddie was starting to get jealous.

They arrived home after 10:30. Maddie had claimed the bedroom since she was there first. They walked in, talking about the show excitedly. Apparently, it was amazing. Jason saw his daughter as he came in, and it registered shock and regret.

"Oh my God, Madeline!" he said apologetically. "I completely you forgot you were coming over. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she lied, scrolling through her Twitter feed. He sighed as she set down his keys.

"Well, it's a school night for both of you, so time to get to bed," he told both girls. Charlie nodded and went to the bathroom. Maddie crossed her arms and frowned.

"How could you take her to the show and not me?" she asked her father, hurt.

Jason sat down, sighing. He felt terrible. "Maddie, I'm sorry," he apologized. "She's been begging to see it for months and I've been trying to get a little closer to her."

"But I'm your daughter," she pointed out. "Why are you spending so much time with her?"

"Julia and I have been together for six months," he told Maddie. "We'll probably end up getting married so Charlie will be my stepdaughter."

For some reason, that hurt. Madeline knew she had plenty of adults in her life that cared about her, but Jason was her father, not Charlie's. She had her own dad.

"Good for you," she mumbled. It was like her father was creating his own new family, and she wasn't part of it. If he married Julia, they'd be a cute little family, and Maddie would just be a tagalong. Charlie would live with them full time and she'd be forever stuck on the pull-out couch.

"Maddie, don't make a big deal out of this," he begged his daughter. Madeline narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not make a big deal? I'm with you every Wednesday and you forgot. You were with Charlie instead of me. That's shitty," she told him.

"Watch your mouth," he told her. "I'm not going to apologize for spending time with Charlie. I'm sorry I forgot about you being here, but that doesn't mean you have to be unreasonable about things."

Maddie was filled with anger. She stood up and grabbed her backpack.

"I'm going home," she announced, pulling the straps over her shoulders.

"No you're not," Jason told her as she walked to the door. "It's almost 11:00. You're staying here."

Maddie just ignored him and stormed out of the apartment. She knew none of her parents liked her being out alone at night, but right now she felt like no one better mess with her. She walked quickly to the subway and caught her ride home.

When she arrived, she figured her mom and Lin had probably already gone to bed, but Jason must have texted them. Lin was waiting for her in the living room.

"Madeline," he began, his arms crossed.

"Save it," Maddie snapped as she tried to walk past him to her bedroom. He grabbed her by the upper arm to stop her.

"You cannot just take off at 11 p.m. and ride the subway," Lin told her firmly. "It's not safe."

"Well, I didn't die, did I?" she pointed out, shrugging his hand off. Lin let her go but wasn't done yet.

"Thank God," he said. "But you know better. What happened?"

"Dad forgot I was coming and he took Charlie to see Dear Evan Hansen," she told him. Lin could tell she was really upset. He knew she looked forward to spending time with her dad and to have him forgot and take Charlie instead must have hurt.

"Well, that sounds really upsetting," he acknowledged, sighing. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled. "Can I just go to bed?"

Lin rubbed his eyes. "Promise me you won't do that again. If you're that upset in the future, call me and I'll pay for a cab."

"Fine," she said again, then stormed back to her bedroom. Finally, as she was alone, she let the tears fall.


	30. 30

Madeline didn't go to her father's for the next couple weeks. He called her multiple times a week, but she let it go to voicemail and then immediately deleted it. She didn't want to hear his excuses. She was his kid. He shouldn't be taking Charlie to broadway shows. One Saturday, she lazed around in her pajamas on the couch, watching television. Lin came to sit next to her.

"Your dad emailed me," he said, scrolling through his phone. "Are you ignoring his calls?"

"Yep," she said unapologetically. Lin set his phone aside.

"Don't you think it's time for you to forgive him and move on?" he asked her.

"He forgot me," she reminded Lin. "He'd rather take Charlie out than me."

"That's not true," he corrected her. "Everyone forgets every once in a while. Plus he's making an effort to get to know Charlie. That's not a bad thing."

Lin thought back to when he'd first started dating Kate. Madeline was an adorable four year old. It wasn't hard to get to know her. She seemed to love him instantly, and they played for hours. It was effortless. He felt a little bad for Jason, having to enter Charlie's life as a teenager. They weren't the easiest.

Maddie studied her nail beds. "I'm still mad at him."

Lin let out a loud breath, clearing his throat. "Are you gonna mope around here all day?"

"Maybe," she said.

"Well, if you're gonna stick around here I'm gonna put you to work," he told her. "Laundry, cleaning. I'll make a list."

Madeline glared at him. She could tell he was serious, and she couldn't stand it.

"You're such a jerk sometimes," she accused him, crossing her arms. Lin reached over and patted her bare feet a couple times.

"I have my ways," he admitted as he stood up. Lin knew the threat of extra chores would get her going. After her show ended, Madeline reluctantly hopped in the shower and got herself ready. She texted her dad that she was coming over later, but not spending the night. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Half an hour later, Maddie was out the door, riding the subway to SoHo. She let herself in. Charlie was there, of course. Her mother was probably out doing something.

"Maddie!" Jason greeted his daughter warmly, pulling her into a hug. Maddie half-heartedly hugged him back. She still wasn't sure if she forgave him. "It's so good to see you."

She smiled and had to admit it was nice to see her dad. He looked over at Charlie and said, "Charlie, do you mind going to get some coffee for a few minutes? I need to talk to Maddie."

She sighed, but turned off the TV and found her shoes. She left wordlessly, slamming the door behind her. Madeline and Jason sat on the couch, alone.

"Sweetheart, I wanted to apologize again for the other week. I just honestly forgot. It happens to the best of us," he said. "I wanted...I wanted to get to know Charlie more because..."

He paused, wondering if he should say it. "I want to ask Julia to marry me."

Madeline torqued her jaw a little at the news. "Wow. That was fast."

"I really care about her," he told his daughter. "And Charlie's great."

"I bet," she said. "Well, congratulations I guess."

"Thanks," he said, and they both knew it wasn't really sincere. "I'm still trying to figure out how to propose."

"So, does this mean they'll both be living here full time?" she ventured.

Jason nodded. "Yes. They will," he could tell that didn't make his daughter happy. "We're thinking about getting a bigger place. With three bedrooms."

Maddie didn't like thinking about how they'd both be here every time she came to visit. She'd never have her dad all to herself again. That year when he'd taken her, Madeline had liked it in some ways. She missed her mother, obviously, but she liked being the apple of her father's eye. They did everything together, and they'd gotten close. Then they'd been apart for almost a decade. It was like their relationship was in reset mode and they were still trying to figure each other out.

"Listen," he said. "You're in high school now. I realize you might not want to hang out with your dad all the time. I know the custody agreement says you should be here every Wednesday and every other weekend, but if you don't want to come all the time that's fine. You're welcome any time."

Maddie nodded. She knew her mother and Lin didn't mind if she went to Jason's when it wasn't his official time. At least, now her mother was okay with it. A month or so ago, not so much. She looked at her watch.

"Uh...I forgot, I told a friend I was gonna meet her for coffee," she lied, patting her thighs. "I've gotta go."

Jason could tell she was lying, but didn't push it. He knew this was big news. He would give her the space she needed.

"Okay," he said, standing up with her. "Well, I'm glad you decided to come over. Call me or come over, okay?"

She nodded as he pulled her into a hug. Maddie left quickly and rushed out the door. She didn't want to go home yet, so she found a coffee shop nearby. Maddie ordered a latte and then looked around to find a seat. She saw Charlie sitting in the corner. They locked eyes.

Maddie swallowed and decided she needed to talk to her. They would be stepsisters soon, after all.

"Hi," she said hesitantly. "Can I sit?"

"I guess," Charlie answered, taking a sip from her own cup.

"Uh, look," she began. "I don't expect for us to be best friends, but I just wanted to say I want to be civil with you. Sorry if I've been cold. It's just, you and your mom just showed up and my life changed all of a sudden."

"I know," she said. "My life changed all of a sudden too. My parents only divorced six months ago."

"Wow. Really?" Maddie asked. Charlie nodded.

"I'm not that thrilled about having to move in with your dad," she admitted. "Not that he's not an okay guy. It's just, it's really fast."

Madeline nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I guess we've both had some big changes going on."

"At least you like your mom and stepdad," she said. "My dad sucks."

"Sorry," she said. "My mom and I fight sometimes, but overall we're okay."

The two sophomores chatted for another half hour, actually making an effort to get to know each other. They found out they had some things in common, like favorite shows and pizza places. They even laughed a little bit. Madeline realized she was kind of lucky. Her parents were getting along better now, and she didn't hate any of the adults in her life. It was sad that Charlie hated her dad so much. Maddie had two dads and she loved them both, most of the time.

Madeline left and walked around a bit before heading home. Lin was working on his laptop when she arrived. He looked at her watch.

"That was fast," he commented. Maddie shrugged and kicked off her shoes.

"We're okay now I guess," she said, collapsing on the couch. "He's gonna ask Julia to marry him."

 

"He is?" Lin asked, surprised. They hadn't been together that long.

"Charlie and I talked," she said. "She's okay too, I guess."

"Good," Lin said, closing his laptop. "I'm glad you're getting along."

"We're not gonna be friends," she clarified. "But we're alright."

Lin thought that was about all that could be asked of her at the moment. Julia and Charlie had quickly become a big part of Maddie's life. It was a big adjustment. She sighed, as if emotionally exhausted.

"Wanna go grab some pizza in a bit?" he asked her. She nodded and curled up next to him. Lin worked on his laptop a little longer until it was dinner time.

Lin loved taking Maddie out for dinner, just the two of them. They had a great relationship, and could joke around easily. Now that she was a teenager, they could have deeper conversation. She was a smart kid, and he enjoyed debating with her.

"Do you think my dad will ask me to be in his wedding?" she asked him as she grabbed another breadstick.

"Probably," Lin commented. Maddie was obviously a huge part of his life. "Do you want to be in the wedding?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I haven't been in a wedding since you and mom got married."

Lin smiled at the memory. They'd married when she was six. Madeline had been the most adorable flower girl ever. They'd caught her making out with the ring bearer during the reception. Lin was saving it to show at her wedding.

"How are you feeling about Julia and Charlie living with your dad full time?" he probed.

She sighed. "I don't know. It'll be weird. It'll take some getting used to."

"Are you and your dad getting along okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said. "Apart from the whole forgetting me part."

Lin smirked a little and studied her for a few moments. "You're a good kid."

Maddie smiled a little and reached for her drink. "You're a good dad."

___

Four months later, Maddie breathed out, feeling uncomfortable in her bridesmaid dress. Her father had proposed to Julia a week after he'd talked to her. Julia had asked both Charlie and Julia to be bridesmaids. The two teenagers got along well enough nowadays. Their parents had found a bigger apartment and they each had their own room.

Julia looked happy but nervous as they waited at the back of the church. She gripped her bouquet tightly.

"Breathe, Julia!" Maddie reminded her soon-to-be stepmother. Julia smiled and breathed out through her mouth.

"I'm so nervous," she confessed. "I didn't think I'd be doing this again."

Maddie hoped her father's marriage would work out this time. He deserved to be happy and Julia seemed like a nice lady.

Maddie looked down at her toes. They were perfectly painted after a day at the spa yesterday. Julia took both girls to get manis, pedis and a facial. It was a nice bonding experience. Tomorrow, they'd be leaving on their honeymoon to Hawaii.

The music began and Charlie jumped up and down with excitement. The little bridesmaids, one of Julia's nieces, began first. She was nervous at all the eyes on her. Her father was waiting for at the altar, encouraging her along. Once she got a few pews in, she took off running towards her dad, wanting it to be over.

Maddie and Charlie walked out with the groomsmen, smiling and reminding themselves to walk slowly. Madeline saw her mother, Lin, and Rio in the pews. Lin had cried at how beautiful she looked that morning, and he was tearing up again now. Maddie giggled as she made her way up the aisle, wondering who she might marry someday. Jason winked at both girls as they took their places.

Maddie and Charlie waited at the altar, then the music changed. Julia stepped into the aisle with her father. She was beaming as she began walking towards Jason. Madeline glanced at her father and could tell he was totally in love. It was adorable. Julia's father kissed her cheek and then took his place at his pew.

The priest began, and while Maddie knew she wasn't the center of attention, she felt self-conscious being at the front of the church. She waited patiently as they went through the vows. Before she knew it, the ceremony was over and her father was kissing his new wife.

The reception was nearby, so after pictures, they all rode over in a limo. It was Maddie's first time in a limo. She wanted to go joyriding later. The reception was a blast. There was a great DJ and Madeline spent the whole night dancing.

The DJ announced it was time for a father/daughter dance. Julia found her own father, and Madeline nervously wondered who she should go to. Lin had raised her most of her life, and she lived with him most of the time, but Jason was her biological father. They had a good relationship.

Both men walked up to Madeline, looking handsome in their tuxes. She looked between the two of them. Lin held out his right hand. Jason held out his left hand. The two fathers held hands between them.

"May we have this dance?" they asked her together. Madeline smiled, relieved, as she took both their hands. She laughed as they danced slowly around, trying not to step on each other's feet. Her two fathers took turns twirling her around. Lin stepped back so Jason could have a verse alone with his daughter.

"You look beautiful," he told Maddie. "You're so grown up. I don't know what I'll do on your wedding day."

"Daaad," she complained, thinking ahead to her own wedding. Maybe Lin and Jason could both walk her down the aisle. She wasn't sure she could choose.

"I'm really proud of you, by the way," he told her.

"Why?"

"The way you've handled Julia and Charlie being in your life," he said. "You could be really petty and difficult, but you've handled it all so gracefully."

"Well, thanks," she said. It was nice to hear him acknowledge that it hadn't been easy for her. Luckily, he'd made a good choice in a wife. They chatted for a few more seconds, then Jason kissed her cheek and stepped back. Lin cut in.

He immediately took both her hand and spun them around backwards, causing Madeline to laugh. Lin then pulled her in tight, pressing his cheek to hers.

"I love you so much," he told his daughter.

Madeline grinned. "I love you too," she said, stepping her toes on his.

"Hey," he laughed, but didn't make her get off. Madeline used to step on his feet when she was a little girl and he'd walk her around the house. She would laugh and laugh. She was a little lighter then.

"Do you remember when you used to let me do your hair?" she asked him, remembering him with his long hair.

Lin chuckled, "How could I forget? I had so many barrettes and braids in my hair. I remember having to answer the front door one time and the guy just about fell over laughing."

Maddie laughed at the memory. She loved having Lin as a dad. "And I used to paint your nails too."

"Don't tell anyone," he told her.

The song came to a close and Madeline stepped off Lin's toes. He looked at her with such love in her eyes, and pressed a single kiss to her cheek. "Stop growing up so fast."

Jason stepped in again, and both men got a suspicious-looking expression on their faces. Before Madeline knew it, she was being dragged off towards the food by both arms. She laughed, protesting as they held her in place. Both men reached for some cake and then smeared it all over Madeline's face. She laughed hysterically as they rubbed it in. She guessed it was payback for all the times she'd worried them or talked back.

Madeline wasn't about to let the attack go unreturned. She grabbed some cake herself and pushed it into Jason's face, then Lin's. They laughed and soon it was an all-out smear fest. Kate looked at her daughter, ex, and husband and just rolled her eyes, laughing.

Years ago, she'd had a chance encounter with a man and his car. It had turned into love, another kid, and a wonderful life. Her bitter feelings towards her ex had subsided. She looked at the three of them laughing and joking around together and knew her life was enough. Their lives would always be enough.

THE END


End file.
